NeoCD/PS2 vs NeoCD/SDL

NeoCD/PS2 is a free, open-source NeoGeo CD emulator for the Sony PlayStation 2. It is a port of NeoCD/SDL, adapted to replace SDL components with PS2-native libraries using PS2SDK. Games load directly from the CD-ROM. Video offers PAL/NTSC auto-detection and selection, while the in-game menu includes filtering, fullscreen video, and frameskip controls. The emulator supports two controllers, stereo sound emulation, and CDDA playback. NeoGeo CD memory card support uses 45 KB on a PS2 memory card. ZIP support is limited to the BIOS, and the NeoGeo CD BIOS is not included; users must find it or dump it from their own system. The releases page lists version 0.6c with CDDA fixes, including an auto-loop feature. Listed issues include sound problems when the frame rate is below full speed, timing issues, graphics glitches in some games, and needing to reset the PS2 to exit the BIOS. The project is distributed under GNU General Public License version 2 and says use is at the user's own risk; the README says it should only be used with games the user legally owns.

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.