GBA Emulator vs mGBA
GBA Emulator
github.com
mGBA
mgba.ioSide by side
| Figure | GBA Emulator | mGBA |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Boy Advance Emulators | 7.6 (#17) | 8.4 (#3) |
| Compatibility limit | Pokémon FireRed boots through its intro to the title screen, but a full playthrough has not been verified. | The FAQ says most GBA games boot, while Game Boy and Game Boy Color support still has bugs and DS support has poor compatibility. |
| Emulation features | The emulator supports ARM and Thumb instructions, multiple graphics modes, sprites, audio, DMA, timers, interrupts, and flash saves. | Supported GBA peripherals include rumble, rotation and tilt sensors, solar sensor, realtime clock, partial link cable support, and BattleChip Gate. |
| License | The project is open source and its repository links to an MIT license. | mGBA is licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. |
Plans
In their own words
GBA Emulator
GBA Emulator has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
mGBA
mGBA is a free, open-source emulator for Game Boy Advance games, designed to run on lower-end hardware while maintaining accuracy and portability. It also emulates Game Boy and Game Boy Color; most GBA games boot, while the FAQ notes bugs in Game Boy and Game Boy Color support. Nintendo DS support is very early, limited to the medusa branch, and has poor compatibility. Desktop downloads cover Windows, macOS, Linux, and Ubuntu, with homebrew builds for Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, Wii, and PlayStation Vita. Supported GBA peripherals include rumble, rotation and tilt sensors, a solar sensor, realtime clock, partial link cable support, and BattleChip Gate. Game Boy features include rumble, tilt, realtime clock, Game Boy Printer, and partial Game Boy Camera and Super Game Boy support. The Wireless Adapter, IR Adapter, and Soul Adapter are not supported. Built-in Lua scripting can access emulator memory, registers, save states, buttons, game information, screenshots, callbacks, and frame or instruction advancement. The project began in April 2013 and uses the Mozilla Public License 2.0.