Flycast vs SIMH
Flycast
github.comSIMH
simh.trailing-edge.comSide by side
| Figure | Flycast | SIMH |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 0 |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 8.8 (#5) | 6.7 (#52) |
| Build requirements | The Linux build instructions list a C/C++ toolchain, CMake, make, libcurl, libudev, SDL2, and Vulkan or OpenGL. | The HP simulator source distributions are written in portable C, and the page says no additional libraries are needed to build them. |
| Downloads | The project offers master builds, experimental nightly development builds, and stable tagged releases. | The HP simulator page offers source distributions and precompiled 32-bit Windows executables for Windows XP and later. |
| License | The repository identifies GPL-2.0 as its license. | The V3 and Open SIMH V4 source code is licensed under an MIT-style open-source license. |
Plans
In their own words
Flycast
Flycast is a free emulator for Sega Dreamcast, Naomi, Naomi 2, and Atomiswave, derived from reicast. It runs on Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows, with releases available as stable tagged versions, master builds, and experimental nightly builds. Android users are directed to Google Play; Linux instructions cover Flatpak and Flathub, while macOS instructions use Homebrew. Windows documentation provides a bootstrap script for building from source. Xbox One and Series users can install a build through Xbox Device Portal. Flycast supports online play, with release notes describing modem-emulation improvements and fixes for online features in several games. Its DCNet service is a free dedicated VPN for Dreamcast games; 30 game servers were available when it was released. Physical Dreamcast controllers work with DreamConn+ and DreamPicoPort adapters. On Android, Google Auto Backup can back up VMU saves and non-volatile memory. The project lists GPL-2.0 as its license and says iOS support has been dropped.