Mednafen vs OpenEmu
Mednafen
mednafen.github.io
OpenEmu
openemu.orgSide by side
| Figure | Mednafen | OpenEmu |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · TurboGrafx-16 Emulators | 7.3 (#20) | 8.1 (#8) |
| Spec score · SNES Emulators | 7.4 (#19) | 8.1 (#8) |
| Spec score · Game Console Emulators | 7.4 (#27) | 8.2 (#12) |
| Spec score · Game Gear Emulators | 7.2 (#24) | 8.0 (#14) |
| Spec score · Game Boy Advance Emulators | 7.3 (#23) | 8.0 (#8) |
| Spec score · Sega Genesis Emulators | 7.1 (#23) | 7.9 (#12) |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 7.2 (#44) | 8.0 (#23) |
| Purpose | Mednafen is a portable, command-line-driven multi-system emulator that uses OpenGL and SDL. | OpenEmu is open-source video game emulation software for Mac. |
| Security | The documentation warns that specially constructed save states can lock up or abort the emulator, consume substantial CPU, and potentially execute host code. | The GitHub project page displays “Security and quality 0.” |
| Support | The official site links to a Mednafen forum and an FAQ. | The project directs users to read its contributing guide before reporting bugs through GitHub Issues or IRC. |
| Supported systems | Its listed systems include Apple II, Atari Lynx, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, NES, SNES, Sega Saturn, and Sony PlayStation. | The repository lists cores for systems including Atari, NES, Game Boy, GameCube, Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, Sega systems, PlayStation, PSP, Super Nintendo, TurboGrafx, Vectrex, Virtual Boy and WonderSwan. |
Plans
In their own words
Mednafen
Mednafen has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
OpenEmu
OpenEmu is free, open-source video game emulation software for macOS. It organizes game backups into a unified library, adds box art and supports collections spanning consoles. Users drag and drop backups for scanning and organization. Modular cores from open-source projects emulate systems including Atari, Game Boy, Nintendo, Sega, Sony PlayStation and Super Nintendo; the project lists 31 supported systems. Generic HID-compliant USB or Bluetooth controllers can work immediately, with automatic mapping for recognized devices. OpenEmu is intended for games users already own, and BIOS files are required. The wiki describes an experimental arcade core plugin that is strictly unsupported. The latest release page identifies OpenEmu 2.4.1 binaries as Intel-only. The official site offers a macOS (OS X) application, but the version requirement was not rendered. The project lists save states, CD audio and cheat support, while online netplay is not available.