MasterEmu vs MasterGear
MasterEmu
github.comMasterGear
fms.komkon.orgSide by side
| Figure | MasterEmu | MasterGear |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Sega Master System Emulators | 7.4 (#14) | 9.1 (#1) |
| Display options | It offers auto-rotation, lockable screen orientation, and widescreen or optional 4:3 horizontal display. | Official documentation lists normal, stretched and softened display modes, scanlines, frame-rate display and multiple scaling effects. |
| Maker | The maker describes himself as a lone programmer and says he is not affiliated with Sega. | The product documentation credits Marat Fayzullin, whose LinkedIn profile places him in Winchester, Massachusetts and lists Windriver Systems. |
| Purpose | MasterEmu is an Android emulator for Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear. | MasterGear emulates 8-bit SEGA consoles and computers, including MasterSystem, GameGear, SG1000, SC3000, SF7000, Mark2, and Mark3. |
| Support | The app listing gives [email protected] as the support email. | Android users are directed to the EMUL8 Google Group or direct email, and the author says genuine bug reports commonly take one or two weeks to resolve. |
Plans
MasterGear
- MasterGear Windows/LinuxFree
- Windows/LinuxFree
- Android$4.99, paid once
- MasterGear Android$430, paid once
In their own words
MasterEmu
MasterEmu is a free, open-source Android emulator for Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear. It loads .sms and .gg ROM files from internal or external storage, including ZIP archives. The app supports Pro Action Replay and Game Genie cheat codes, physical controllers, and button remapping. Users can save and load emulation states, import or export states, and use automatic SRAM saving for supported ROMs. Display options include auto-rotation, locked orientation, widescreen, and optional 4:3 horizontal presentation. The listing states support for Android 4.4 through Android 13 and Android TV. MasterEmu has no ads or in-app purchases, and its source repository is on GitHub. Users must obtain ROMs legally; the maker does not provide sources. The maker identifies himself as a lone programmer and says he is not affiliated with Sega. Support is available at [email protected].
MasterGear
MasterGear emulates 8-bit SEGA consoles and computers, including MasterSystem, GameGear, SG1000, SC3000, SF7000, Mark2, and Mark3. It runs on Windows, Linux, and Android. The maker says hobbyists can use it to debug software without rare development hardware. Documentation reports support for about 98% of the maker’s SMS, GG, SF7000, SC3000, and SG1000 cartridge and disk images, while noting compatibility is not complete. Emulated hardware includes the Z80 CPU, console video processors, SN76489 sound, and Mark3 YM2413 FM sound. It can save and load emulation states, but state files are not guaranteed to work across versions on different hardware. Other listed features include automatic GZIP ROM handling, MIDI soundtrack logging, a built-in debugger, cheat support, and NetPlay. Windows and Linux are free; the Android plan costs 430.00 USD once. Game ROM images are not included, and source code is not publicly available.