NeoBox vs NeoCD/SDL

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.

NeoCD/SDL is a port of the NeoCD NeoGeo CD emulator to the SDL library. It can run many original NeoGeo CD games and is listed for Windows, Linux, BeOS, and Dreamcast; the project also lists ports for Xbox and PlayStation 2. Each of two players can use a keyboard or a separate joystick. Keyboard shortcuts control fullscreen display, video effects, frameskip, sound, screenshots, and quitting. To run the emulator, users need an uncompressed 512kb system ROM named neocd.bin. The documentation says users are not entitled to a copy of the copyrighted BIOS unless they own an original NeoGeo CD console. The emulator and its source code are free, but selling is not allowed, and the emulator cannot be provided on the same physical medium as NeoGeo game software. Source code and technical knowledge may be reused only for non-commercial purposes. Downloads include source and binary files. Windows builds require MinGW, MSYS, SDL development libraries, and NASM; Linux builds require SDL source and NASM. The program is distributed without warranty.