SameBoy
SameBoy is an open-source emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Super Game Boy systems.
What SameBoy is
SameBoy is an open-source emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Super Game Boy systems. It supports the original Game Boy, Pocket and Light, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Player in Color mode, plus Super Game Boy and Super Game Boy 2. The project describes its design as high accuracy and says it passes multiple test ROM suites. Players can use battery saves and save states, which follow the BESS specification for cross-compatibility. Other options include turbo, rewind, slow motion, cheats, rumble, scaling algorithms, filters, customizable controls and fullscreen mode. SameBoy also emulates peripherals such as local link cable, infrared, Game Boy Camera, Game Boy Printer and Workboy, and includes a GBS player. Debugging tools include a disassembler, breakpoints, watchpoints and memory and video RAM viewers. Builds are listed for macOS, Windows and iOS, with SDL support described for other operating systems. Some functions are limited by frontend: several, including the Cocoa interface and multiple cartridge instances, are macOS-only. SameBoy is free.
Good
- Supports Game Boy, Color and Super Game Boy systems.
- Save states follow the BESS specification.
- Includes link cable, infrared, Camera and Printer emulation.
- Offers rewind, slow motion, cheats and rumble.
- Includes disassembly and memory-viewing debugging tools.
Watch out
- Some features are exclusive to the macOS Cocoa frontend.
- Official downloads list macOS, Windows and iOS builds.
- Some features are limited by frontend.
Who it suits
SameBoy suits players who want to emulate games and peripherals from the listed Game Boy family systems. Its debugging tools may also suit developers working with those systems.
Verdict
SameBoy combines broad Game Boy family emulation with gameplay controls, save options and developer tools at no cost. Check the frontend-specific feature limits if a particular function or platform matters to you.
Plans and prices
From SameBoy's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| SameBoy | Free | Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Super Game Boy emulation |
The facts
Each one read from SameBoy's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Accuracy
- The emulator is designed for high accuracy and passes multiple test ROM suites.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Audio
- SameBoy supports high quality 96KHz audio and sample-accurate sound emulation.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Developer tools
- Debugging tools include an expression evaluator, disassembler, conditional breakpoints and watchpoints, call stack tracing, and memory and video RAM viewers.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Display and controls
- It supports scaling algorithms and filters, customizable controls, joypads and fullscreen mode.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Emulated peripherals
- Features include local link cable, infrared, Game Boy Camera, Game Boy Printer and Workboy emulation.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Emulated systems
- It supports DMG, Pocket and Light, Color, GBC-mode Advance and Game Boy Player, Super Game Boy, and Super Game Boy 2 emulation.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Gameplay features
- The emulator includes turbo, rewind, slow-motion, cheats, rumble support and an integrated GBS player.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License
- The GitHub project describes SameBoy as open source and licensed under the Expat license, with an additional exception for the iOS folder.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- SameBoy is an open source emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Super Game Boy.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Saves
- Features include battery saves and save states, with save states following the BESS specification for cross-compatibility.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project links users to a bug tracker and Discord server.checked 8 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- iOS limitations
- The features page says Game Boy Camera and Game Boy Printer emulation are available in the Cocoa macOS and iOS frontends, while some other features are limited to macOS.checked 8 Oct 2026
- macOS-only features
- Some features, including the native Cocoa interface, optional update checker and installer, and multiple cartridge instances, are exclusive to the macOS Cocoa frontend.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Platform availability
- The official downloads page lists builds for macOS, Windows and iOS, plus source code; the project describes SDL support for other operating systems.checked 8 Oct 2026
