GB-EMU
GB-EMU packages Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulation as a Samsung Tizen TV application that runs directly on the television, without streaming.
What GB-EMU is
GB-EMU packages Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulation as a Samsung Tizen TV application that runs directly on the television, without streaming. It also supports desktop browser testing with keyboard controls. The project is intended for educational and testing work, including learning Game Boy architecture and low-level emulation, and remains a work in progress with an incomplete CPU instruction set. Games load from .gb or .gbc files on the top level of a USB drive or through Wi-Fi from a PC on the same network. Wi-Fi downloads remain stored on the TV for offline play. Each game has one save slot, retained across restarts and updates. Samsung remotes and standard gamepads are supported, although remote B, Select, and Start inputs are tap-only. The free project uses the MIT License and requires users’ legally obtained ROMs.
Good
- Runs directly on Samsung TVs
- USB and Wi-Fi ROM loading
- Offline access to downloaded ROMs
- Save states persist across updates
- Standard gamepad support
Watch out
- CPU instruction set incomplete
- Remote inputs are tap-only
- Users supply legal ROMs
- Project is work in progress
Who it suits
It suits learners, hobbyists, and Samsung Tizen TV owners interested in Game Boy emulation. Desktop browser testing is available for development and experimentation.
Verdict
GB-EMU offers direct Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulation on Samsung Tizen TVs, plus browser testing. Its unfinished status and remote-control limits make a Bluetooth gamepad and realistic expectations important.
The facts
Each one read from GB-EMU's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Build requirements
- The documented build requires Docker and Git, and the build process packages the emulator into a signed Tizen widget.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Controls
- The app maps Samsung TV remote controls and supports standard gamepads through the Gamepad API.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Development status
- The project is a work in progress, and its complete CPU instruction set is listed as in progress.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Independence
- The project describes itself as an unofficial emulator and says it is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The README describes installing the Tizen .wgt app using Apps2Samsung after enabling Developer Mode on the TV.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Installation and build
- The project documents installing a packaged .wgt on a Samsung TV and building it with Docker, Git, Emscripten, and Tizen Studio CLI.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Intended use
- The project describes itself as intended for educational and testing purposes and aims to bring homebrew and hobby emulation to Samsung Smart TVs.checked 7 Oct 2026
- License and warranty
- The repository uses the MIT License, which provides the software as-is without warranty.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Load games
- It loads .gb and .gbc ROMs from USB storage or downloads them over Wi-Fi from a PC on the same network.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Offline use
- ROMs downloaded over Wi-Fi are stored on the TV and remain available offline after the PC server is stopped.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Project status
- The project is a work in progress, and its CPU instruction set is incomplete.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- The emulator is intended for educational and testing purposes, including learning Game Boy architecture and exploring low-level emulation.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Remote limitation
- Samsung remote B, Select, and Start inputs are tap-only, so games requiring a held B button need a Bluetooth gamepad for press-and-hold input.checked 7 Oct 2026
- ROM disclaimer
- Users must provide their own legally obtained Game Boy ROMs; the project says it is unaffiliated with Nintendo.checked 7 Oct 2026
- ROM limitation
- USB ROM scanning only checks the top level of each drive, and the repository says users must provide legally obtained ROMs.checked 7 Oct 2026
- ROM loading
- The app can load .gb and .gbc ROMs from the root of a USB drive or download them over Wi-Fi from a PC on the same network.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Runs on the TV
- The emulator runs entirely on the TV without streaming.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Save states
- The app supports one save slot per game and stores save states in private TV storage across restarts and app updates.checked 7 Oct 2026
- What it does
- GB-EMU_Tizen packages a Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulator as a Samsung Tizen TV application that runs directly on the TV.checked 7 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Desktop browser
- The project can also be built for desktop browser testing, where users load a .gb or .gbc file and play using keyboard controls.checked 7 Oct 2026
