ares
7.5#2 in sega master system emulatorsFree planFree planLinuxmacOSSelf-hostedWindows
Visitares vs BlastEm
What both publish
| Fact | ares | BlastEm |
|---|---|---|
| Debugger | A built-in debugger provides simple tracing tools for development of original software. | Its integrated debugger can inspect and modify most emulated state, use conditional breakpoints and run scripts. |
| Release news | The v148 release announcement reported N64 CPU and RSP JIT rewrites, PlayStation accuracy work, GBA fixes, Famicom data-recorder support and per-core input configuration. | The September 11, 2026 1.0.0 announcement describes the first stable release in 13 years and adds Sega CD, 32X, CD-32X, Pico, Copera, Game Gear, SG-1000, SC-3000 and ColecoVision support. |
| Save states | Save states let users resume games that lack native saving. | The feature list includes save-state support. |
ares plans
- aresFree
- FreeFree
BlastEm plans
- BlastEmFree
Pick ares if…
ares suits people looking to emulate supported systems on desktop Linux, macOS, or Windows, including developers working on original software for those systems. Linux users should be comfortable compiling from source or finding third-party packages.
Pick BlastEm if…
BlastEm suits Sega console players seeking an emulator with debugging tools, as well as developers working on SGDK or other C and C++ projects. It may be less suitable for users focused on Yamaha Copera music or complete compatibility.