OS X Targeted 'OpenEmu' to Deliver Native Mac Interface to Console Emulators

There are few great emulator options for OS X, but that is set to change in the near future as multi-source system emulator OpenEmu prepares for an official launch.

Open Emu is an open source project to bring game emulation to OS X as a first class citizen, leveraging modern OS X technologies such as Cocoa, Core Animation and Quartz, and 3rd party libraries like Sparkle for auto-updating. Open Emu is based on a modular architecture, allowing for game-engine plugins, this means Open Emu can support a host of different emulation engines and back-ends while retaining a familiar OS X native front-end.

OpenEmu, which has been in beta for quite some time, is able to emulate the hardware of several different consoles. Version 1.0 of the software will include support for several 16-bit systems, including the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Gear, NeoGeo Pocket, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, and Super Nintendo, among others.

Support for additional systems like the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo DS, and the Sony PlayStation will be added in the future.

pic-browser
The emulator features a slick iTunes-style design, displaying downloaded ROMs in a menu organized by system. Designed from the ground up for OS X, it offers up a native OS X interface.

With full save state support, the software allows for multiple ROMs to be played at once and it also provides OpenGL scaling, multithreaded playback, and gamepad support.

At this point in time the team behind OpenEmu is working on polishing the app and adding final artwork, but the release is "close."

pic-pref
OpenEmu was previously available as a beta download and the beta version of the application can still be acquired by downloading and compiling the source code via Xcode. A full set of instructions is available here.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

'New' iPhone SE Product Listing Appears on French Website

Wednesday February 12, 2025 6:49 am PST by
As the wait continues for Apple's long-rumored, fourth-generation iPhone SE, French electronics retailer Boulanger has prematurely published a product listing for a "new" model of the iPhone SE. The placeholder page says the device is "coming soon," but it offers no further information, and the price shown is obviously not real. The listing was spotted by a reader of the French technology...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
M4 Mac mini Apple Video

Apple's Refurbished Mac Mini Pricing Has a Problem

Thursday February 13, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple this week began selling refurbished Mac mini models with the M4 chip for the first time, but this has led to a pricing conundrum. In the United States, Apple is offering a refurbished Mac mini with the base M4 chip, 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and Gigabit Ethernet for $509, down from $599 new. This is the standard 15% discount that Apple offers on refurbished Macs. The issue is...
M4 mini Glowing Blue

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished M4 Macs

Wednesday February 12, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today added MacBook Pro and Mac mini models with M4 series chips to its certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland for the first time since the computers were introduced in October 2024. Some refurbished MacBook Pro models with M4 chips are also available in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and select other European countries. ...
iPhone 16 Apple Store

iPhone 17 in New Sizes This Year: What to Know

Thursday February 13, 2025 2:45 am PST by
Last year, Apple tweaked iPhone 16 Pro screen sizes to make them bigger than 2023's iPhone 15 Pro models, and this year we are also expecting a change in the size of the displays in the iPhone 17 lineup. Here's what we know. Standard iPhone 17 Apple could introduce a new display size for the standard iPhone 17 model in 2025. The iPhone 17 could measure in at 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches,...
Apple Ad on X

Apple Resumes Advertising on X

Wednesday February 12, 2025 2:18 pm PST by
Apple this month started advertising on X for the first time in more than a year. The company had stopped advertising on the social media platform in November 2023 following controversial remarks made by its owner Elon Musk. For example, the @Apple account is running an ad promoting Safari's privacy features. The ad was spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The @AppleTV account has a...

Top Rated Comments

nepalisherpa Avatar
155 months ago
Good thing I can download 3rd party applications on my Mac without "jailbreaking"! :)
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mucx Avatar
155 months ago
Ok, lets clear up some things about this project.

In no particular order...

1. This is open source software. You don't pay for it, we don't ask for anything in return, not even a donation.

2. We absolutely are not selling any ROMS through this application.

3. This will not appear on the Mac App Store.

4. OpenEmu utilizes a bevy of fantastic open source emulators (read our GitHub!). Our trick is to unify them into one application that seeks to remove the geekiness of this area of video gaming. Drop a legally owned ROM into the application, it organizes, adds box art, cleans up the game name and with a single click... off you go and play. We want to be the interface HUB for all open source emulation projects. We have many more emulators and supported systems to come.

5. We have gamepad support working right out of the box (excluding XBOX controllers which will need a 3rd party driver to use). Almost all the popular HID compliant controllers will work. (If we missed one, tell us!) Simply connect it, and OpenEmu does the rest (it auto-assigns buttons). Do we recommend a controller?... sure, possibly the WiiU Pro controller.

6. Skeumorphism. Thats right, we do it. Hopefully tastefully. The main application is extremely simple and understated. (though purposely black so that your games stand out and look great). The controller preference screen (as shown by MacRumors screenshots) are were we go to town. Its actually interactive. Click the buttons on the images and it interacts. Its done that way to aid the understanding of the hardware you are playing, as well as a general visual & interactive aid to re-assignment of gamepad or keyboard inputs. Trust me, we didnt go to the Scott Forstall school of visual design but nor did we get the google iron out.

7. When is it out? Setting dates in open source hobby software is suicide! Sorry... compile it or ask a friend who has used it. Then take a guess how close you think it is. :p

8. Is this illegal? No, emulators aren't illegal (at best a mild shade of grey). We don't distribute any BIOS stuff or ROMs. We provide the tool, its up to you what you want to do with it. We will provide and promote legal gameplay solutions (see below).

9. We plan to offer a original homebrew ROM pack upon release should you not have any old games at hand but want to see what this emulation thing is all about.

10. What about Retrode? Ah yes Retrode (some of the OpenEmu team have helped on that project)... in the meantime, let me just put this here and say that this will be the most legal way to play and backup your games soon:



Want to know more? Then hit us up on Twitter (@OpenEmu) or browse our GitHub page.

Thanks
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Semester Avatar
155 months ago
Skeumorphism!!!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UnfetteredMind Avatar
155 months ago
OMG! Road Rash for Sega Genesis would be awesome. Been a loooooooong time since I've flown around corners in the air at over 100mph while beating someone else with a club!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farmermac Avatar
155 months ago
wow would love to see the original Mario on NES ROMs in a legit easy to use marketplace.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dwalls90 Avatar
155 months ago
This.Is.Epic!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)