Mesen

What Mesen is

Mesen is a free, open-source emulator for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It supports NES, SNES, Game Boy and Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, PC Engine, SMS and Game Gear, and WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color systems. The official site lists version 2.2.1, released June 5, 2026; its release notes describe improved NES CPU, APU, and PPU accuracy, as well as improved PAL and Famicom Disk System accuracy. That release also lists link cable support for two Game Boy or Game Boy Color consoles. An older Mesen page describes debugging tools for homebrew development and ROM hacking. The software uses the GNU General Public License version 3 or later. Windows requires version 10 or later, while Linux and macOS builds need SDL2 installed. The macOS builds are self-signed and need Gatekeeper approval before they can run. Development builds are available for Windows, Linux x64 and ARM64, and macOS Intel and Apple Silicon. The project is becoming MesenCE, a community edition maintained by Sour and community members.