Íris Emulator
Íris Emulator is free, open-source software for emulating Atari 2600, Atari Lynx, and Atari Jaguar games on 64-bit Windows 10 or 11.
What Íris Emulator is
Íris Emulator is free, open-source software for emulating Atari 2600, Atari Lynx, and Atari Jaguar games on 64-bit Windows 10 or 11. The Atari 2600 core includes a cycle-accurate 6507 CPU, TIA emulation, and NTSC, PAL, and SECAM support. The Lynx core emulates the 65C02, Mikey, and Suzy; HLE boot supports homebrew that does not require a BIOS. Jaguar support includes .j64 and .jag cartridges, RF Cable and S-Video filters, and upscaling up to 1080p, with Auto, 4:3, and 16:9 aspect ratios. The interface has a game list with cover art, a setup wizard, fullscreen mode, remappable keyboard and gamepad controls, and 10 save-state slots. Real-time VST3 processing uses a reorderable plugin chain and master gain slider. Optional Discord Rich Presence can show the game name, console, play time, and status, and requires the Discord desktop app. ROMs and BIOS files are not included. Jaguar CD titles do not work because CD-ROM is not implemented, and the Jaguar core is described as alpha. The emulator requires OpenGL 3.3 Core Profile; Linux is not officially supported yet, and macOS is unsupported.
Good
- Supports Atari 2600, Lynx, and Jaguar emulation
- Remappable keyboard and gamepad controls
- Provides 10 save-state slots
- Jaguar supports upscaling up to 1080p
Watch out
- Linux is not officially supported; macOS is unsupported
- ROMs and BIOS files are not included
- Jaguar CD titles do not work
- Requires OpenGL 3.3 Core Profile
Who it suits
Íris suits Windows users who want to play Atari 2600, Lynx, or Jaguar games and customize controls or save states. Users need to provide their own ROMs and BIOS files.
Verdict
Íris offers Atari 2600, Lynx, and Jaguar emulation with configurable controls and save states on 64-bit Windows. Its Jaguar core is alpha, and Jaguar CD titles are unsupported.
The facts
Each one read from Íris Emulator's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- 2600 features
- The Atari 2600 core includes a cycle-accurate 6507 CPU, TIA emulation, and NTSC, PAL, and SECAM support.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Atari 2600 features
- The 2600 emulator includes NTSC, PAL, and SECAM support and several cartridge mappers.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Atari Jaguar features
- Jaguar support includes .j64 and .jag cartridges, RF Cable and S-Video filters, and upscaling up to 1080p.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Atari Lynx features
- Lynx emulation includes LNX cartridges, HLE boot for homebrew, and support for a user-supplied boot ROM for commercial games.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Audio plugins
- Íris supports real-time VST3 audio processing with a reorderable plugin chain and a master gain control.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Compatibility limits
- The README says the Lynx and Jaguar cores are in alpha and lists incomplete compatibility, including missing Jaguar CD-ROM support.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Controls and saves
- Controls are remappable for keyboard and gamepad, and the emulator provides 10 save-state slots.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Developers
- The project credits Gorigamia and Aleister93MarkV as developers.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Discord integration
- Optional Discord Rich Presence can show the game name, console, time played, and status; the README says the Discord desktop app is required.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Download
- The README directs Windows users to download the latest release, extract the ZIP, and run irisemulator.exe.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Game library
- The interface offers a game list with cover art and a built-in cover art downloader for TheGamesDB.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Graphics requirement
- Íris requires OpenGL 3.3 Core Profile, and the README says Intel GMA 950 and older integrated graphics will not run it.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Íris can show Discord Rich Presence with the game name, console, play time, and status; the Discord desktop app is optional.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Interface
- The interface includes a game list with cover art, a first-launch setup wizard, remappable keyboard and gamepad controls, and fullscreen support.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Jaguar features
- Jaguar features include RF Cable and S-Video filters, upscaling up to 1080p, and Auto, 4:3, or 16:9 aspect ratios.checked 7 Oct 2026
- License
- The project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Lynx features
- The Lynx core includes 65C02, Mikey, and Suzy emulation, with HLE boot for homebrew that does not require a BIOS.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Íris is an open source emulator for Atari 2600, Atari Lynx, and Atari Jaguar games.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Save states
- The emulator provides 10 save-state slots, including a quick-save slot and manual slots.checked 8 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Linux and macOS
- Linux is not officially supported yet, and macOS is listed as unsupported.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Other platforms
- Linux is not officially supported yet, and macOS is listed as unsupported.checked 8 Oct 2026
- ROMs and BIOS
- ROMs and BIOS files are not included, and the README says the user must obtain the Lynx boot ROM from their own hardware.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Supported Windows versions
- The README lists Windows 10 and Windows 11 64-bit as supported.checked 8 Oct 2026
The company
- Makers
- The README credits Gorigamia and Aleister93MarkV as developers.checked 7 Oct 2026
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