BizHawk
BizHawk is a free multi-system emulator for Windows and Linux, with EmuHawk providing recording, playback and debugging tools aimed at Tool-Assisted Speedrun…
What BizHawk is
BizHawk is a free multi-system emulator for Windows and Linux, with EmuHawk providing recording, playback and debugging tools aimed at Tool-Assisted Speedrunners. Its listed system support includes 3DO, Apple II, arcade machines, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, Sega and PlayStation consoles. Users get 10 hotkey-accessible save slots and unlimited named savestates, plus playback speed control, frame stepping and rewind. EmuHawk can record input as TAS movies and capture screenshots, audio and video to files. Its debugging tools can view, search and edit memory across emulated hardware components. Lua or C#.NET can control the core and frontend programmatically. Keyboard, mouse and gamepad hotkeys are rebindable, and an input mapper supports emulated gamepads and peripherals. The Linux version omits Mupen64Plus for N64 and targets x86_64 CPUs. Current BizHawk is unavailable for Android and iOS; macOS is limited to older releases or technical workarounds. The project recommends stable releases when stability matters.
Good
- Free emulator under the MIT license.
- Offers unlimited named savestates and 10 save slots.
- Supports rewind, frame stepping and speed control.
- Can record TAS movies and capture media files.
Watch out
- Linux omits the Mupen64Plus N64 core.
- Targets x86_64 CPUs.
- Current releases are unavailable on Android and iOS.
- macOS support is limited to older releases or workarounds.
Who it suits
BizHawk suits Tool-Assisted Speedrunners and users who want recording, playback or debugging tools across supported systems. It is for Windows and Linux users, with the Linux N64 core omission worth noting.
Verdict
BizHawk brings multi-system emulation together with recording and debugging features, especially suited to tool-assisted play. Its platform and Linux core limitations matter when choosing where to run it.
Plans and prices
From BizHawk's own pricing page, checked 30 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| BizHawk | Free | MIT-licensed emulator; Windows and Unix releases |
The facts
Each one read from BizHawk's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Controls
- EmuHawk supports rebindable keyboard, mouse, and gamepad hotkeys and an input mapper for emulated gamepads and peripherals.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Debugging
- The emulator provides memory viewing, searching, and editing across emulated hardware components.checked 30 Sep 2026
- License and copyrighted files
- EmuHawk and DiscoHawk are under the permissive MIT License, but the project says not all files included with releases may be freely shared.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Playback controls
- EmuHawk includes speed control with frame stepping and rewinding.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Recording and media
- Users can record input as TAS movies and capture screenshots, audio, and video to files.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Save states
- EmuHawk offers 10 save slots with hotkeys and unlimited named savestates.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Scripting
- The core and frontend can be controlled programmatically with Lua or C#.NET.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Security policy
- The security policy lists versions 2.11 and 2.10 as supported, warns users to update where possible, and accepts vulnerability reports through GitHub.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Support and stability
- The project recommends stable releases for work requiring stability and suggests development builds only when a specific change is needed.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Supported systems
- The project lists support for systems including 3DO, Apple II, arcade machines, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, Sega, and PlayStation consoles.checked 30 Sep 2026
- What it does
- EmuHawk is a multi-system emulator written in C# with recording, playback, and debugging tools aimed at Tool-Assisted Speedrunners.checked 30 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- Linux limitation
- The Linux version supports most features and cores but omits Mupen64Plus for N64, and the project targets x86_64 CPUs.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Unavailable platforms
- The project says current BizHawk is unavailable on Android and iOS, and macOS support is limited to older releases or technical workarounds.checked 30 Sep 2026
Alternatives to BizHawk
- 1
MasterGear
Free planAndroidLinuxmacOSSelf-hosted7.8$4.99 one-time - 2
ares
Free planOpen sourceLinuxmacOSSelf-hostedWindows7.5Free plan - 3
Genesis Plus GX
Free planLinuxWindows6.7Free plan - 4
Emulicious
Free planLinuxmacOSWindows6.3Free plan - 5
PicoDrive
Free planLinuxSelf-hostedWindows6.2Free plan - 6
SMS
Free planLinux6.2Free plan