Happy Chick vs openMSX
Happy Chick
happychickgames.comopenMSX
openmsx.orgSide by side
| Figure | Happy Chick | openMSX |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 8.3 (#12) | 8.3 (#13) |
| Downloads | The features page describes downloads as fast and safe. | The download list includes Windows, macOS, Linux x86 64-bit, Android ARM and source code builds; listed release versions differ by platform. |
| Platforms | The home page lists Android, iOS, TV, and PC as working platforms. | The feature page lists Linux, Windows 7 or later, macOS, and Android 4.1 or later through openMSX 0.15.0; current downloads include Windows, macOS, Linux, and an older Android APK. |
| Purpose | Happy Chick is an emulator app for playing retro games. | openMSX is an emulator for the MSX home computer system that aims to emulate it with 100% accuracy. |
| Support | The features page lists support hours as Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM, and provides a support email address. | Users can ask questions in the Discord channel or IRC, use the openMSX forum, or file bugs and feature requests in GitHub’s issue tracker. |
Plans
In their own words
Happy Chick
Happy Chick is a free emulator app for playing retro games on Android, iOS, and Windows. It emulates more than 18 game consoles, and its listed collection includes PSP and arcade games. Players can resume games, sync game data through the cloud, and use multiplayer mode, including play with friends on the same local area network. Android controllers work without button mapping setup; users on other operating systems can configure their own button map. The maker says a jailbreak is not needed. Some installation steps differ on iOS: the install code is valid for two devices, and users must trust the app supplier in iOS settings. For non-jailbroken iOS devices, website downloads request WeChat; the guide recommends a manual QR code for foreign users. It also advises checking that the device has enough storage before installing games. The maker describes the app as always free. Support is listed by email and phone Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM.
openMSX
openMSX is a free, open-source emulator for the MSX home computer system, with an aim of 100% accuracy. It emulates almost all MSX, MSX2, MSX2+, and turboR systems, plus some others experimentally. The project lists over 230 machine configurations and over 110 extension hardware configurations. A built-in graphical interface works across supported operating systems. Users can control the emulator with Tcl scripts or a command interface over pipes or a UNIX domain socket, and external applications can connect through that interface. The built-in debugger provides watchpoints, breakpoints, viewers, and real-time data display; save states and a reverse feature support replay or stepping back through time. MIDI connectivity is available through host frameworks on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Downloads include Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android builds, though listed versions differ by platform. Version 20.0 and later requires OpenGL 2 support. Android support is listed only through version 0.15.0, and the default C-BIOS machine does not provide all functionality for a complete MSX machine. Catapult is deprecated; the project recommends its built-in GUI.