mGBA vs Play!
mGBA
mgba.ioPlay!
purei.orgSide by side
| Figure | mGBA | Play! |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Game Console Emulators | 8.4 (#6) | 7.4 (#28) |
| Desktop downloads | The current release page lists downloads for Windows, macOS, Linux and Ubuntu. | The official downloads page lists Win32 x86, Win32 x64, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS builds. |
| Integrations | The project timeline lists Dolphin integration as a feature added in version 0.9.0. | Play! implements automatic iOS JIT activation through AltServer, which must run on the same network as the iOS device. |
| Support | The FAQ directs users to file bug reports on the GitHub issue tracker and recommends attaching the built-in bug report ZIP on PC for version 0.9.0 or newer. | The maker identifies Jean-Philip Desjardins as the author and provides an email contact address. |
| What it does | mGBA is a Game Boy Advance emulator that aims to run on lower-end hardware without sacrificing accuracy or portability. | Play! is a portable PlayStation2 emulator focused on making PlayStation2 emulation easy and accessible. |
Plans
In their own words
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.
Play!
Play! is a free, open-source emulator for PlayStation 2 games, with builds for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, plus an experimental browser port. Its high-level emulation means a BIOS is not required, and the project says users do not need custom settings to fix specific games. Games can be played by inserting a disc; desktop builds also offer command-line options for disc images, ELF files, arcade games, save-state slots, and fullscreen mode. The Play!.js browser version supports ISO, CSO, CHD, ISZ, BIN, and ELF files, but is not intended to run every game supported by desktop and mobile builds. Play! has preliminary support for Namco System 246 and 256 arcade games; release notes described 246 support as desktop-only. A compatibility tracker lists game statuses from Nothing to Playable. On iOS, playing requires JIT code generation, with device, jailbreak, or alternative JIT requirements documented by the project. Automatic JIT activation through AltServer requires it to run on the same network as the iOS device.