Geolith vs NeoBox

Geolith is a free emulator for the Neo Geo AES, MVS, CD, and CDZ. It supports commercially released AES, MVS, and CD games, and runs on Linux, macOS, BSD, and Windows. Cartridge systems accept TerraOnion .NEO files; CD systems use .bin/.cue and can optionally use .chd images. BIOS files from a recent MAME set are required, with the needed archives varying by system. Geolith synchronizes its CPUs with the video and sound systems, though video event timing is best effort and cycle-accurate rendering remains a longer-term goal. Settings include system and BIOS mode, region, free play, memory card options, palette, and aspect ratio. Supported inputs range from Neo Geo joysticks to a Mahjong Controller, four-player extension board, V-Liner, and the Irritating Maze trackball. The project was written for The Jolly Good API and can be used in multi-emulator frameworks or standalone binaries. It does not support dedicated JAMMA PCB systems or PAL mode; an early Stakes Winner prototype is also unsupported because required data is missing.

NeoBox is a native macOS app with a built-in Geolith Neo Geo emulator; users provide their own ROMs and BIOS files. It accepts MAME-format ZIPs, scans ROM folders, organizes recognized games with bundled metadata, and watches folders for additions. The maker says metadata covers 158 games, including MVS and AES titles through KOF 2003. NeoBox provides timestamped save states, numbered slots, per-game memory cards, and F12 screenshots. Display options include an optional Metal-rendered CRT shader, Auto 4:3, and pixel-perfect integer scaling. Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro, and MFi controllers work over USB or Bluetooth, with keyboard input also available. Users can select external MAME instead of Geolith; the maker says the library, save states, and bindings carry over. NeoBox requires macOS 14 or later and is native for Apple Silicon. The Mac App Store listing describes it as signed and notarized. The NeoBox: Neo Geo Player plan costs $14.99 as a one-time purchase.