BizHawk

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What BizHawk is

BizHawk is an emulation project built around EmuHawk, a multi-system emulator written in C#. It supports systems spanning Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Sony PlayStation, arcade machines, and DOS/Windows. EmuHawk is designed for tool-assisted speedrunning: it records input movies with rerecording for 45 or more systems and supports playback. TAStudio adds a piano-roll workspace for composing movies, where savestates let you rewind and change inputs.

Other tools include save slots and named savestates, speed control, frame stepping, rewinding, screenshots, audio and video recording, and memory viewing, searching, and editing. Lua or C#.NET can control the frontend and emulator cores programmatically, and keyboard, mouse, and gamepad hotkeys can be rebound. BizHawk is free and open source; the team's original work is under the MIT License, while licensing across the repository varies. Installation instructions cover Windows and Unix. The project says current EmuHawk does not work on macOS, and BizHawk is unavailable on Android and iOS. Linux builds target x86_64 and omit Mupen64Plus for N64.

Who it suits

BizHawk suits tool-assisted speedrunners who need input recording, movie editing, playback, and debugging tools. Its memory tools and Lua or C#.NET control may also suit users who want to inspect or automate emulator behavior.

What it does well

Records rerecordable movies for 45 or more systems.
TAStudio edits movies with a piano-roll interface and savestate rewind.
Includes memory viewing, searching, and editing.
Supports Lua and C#.NET programmatic control.
Free and open source; the team's original work uses the MIT License.

What to know first

Current EmuHawk does not work on macOS.
Unavailable for Android and iOS.
Linux builds target x86_64 and omit Mupen64Plus for N64.

Limits

Linux builds are for x86_64 and do not include Mupen64Plus for N64. Current EmuHawk does not work on macOS, and the project is unavailable for Android and iOS.

Getting started

Get BizHawk from its project website.
Choose installation instructions for Windows or Unix.
On Windows, install the MSVC++ redistributable if needed beyond the download.
Use a stable release for work that requires stability.

Verdict

Choose BizHawk for tool-assisted speedrunning across supported systems, especially when movie recording, TAStudio editing, or memory debugging matters. Look elsewhere if you need current macOS, Android, or iOS support, or Mupen64Plus on Linux.

Questions

How much does BizHawk cost?

BizHawk is free, with a free plan and no free trial.

Which platforms does it support?

Installation instructions cover Windows and Unix. Current EmuHawk does not work on macOS, and BizHawk is unavailable on Android and iOS.

What can I use it for?

EmuHawk supports multi-system emulation, tool-assisted speedrun movie recording and playback, movie editing, and debugging.

Is BizHawk open source?

Yes. The team's original work is provided under the MIT License, and the repository's licensing is heterogeneous.

What scripting and controls does it support?

The frontend and cores can be controlled with Lua or C#.NET. Keyboard, mouse, and gamepad hotkeys are rebindable.

Where can I get help?

The project directs users to its TASVideos subforum, Discord channels, GitHub issue tracker, and README troubleshooting information.

Facts from BizHawk's own pages

Audience: The project describes EmuHawk as made by and for tool-assisted speedrunners and calls it a first choice for TASers. · tasvideos.org, 5 Oct 2026
Common features: Features include save slots and named savestates, speed control, frame stepping, rewinding, memory viewing and editing, screenshots, and audio and video recording. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Debugging and scripting: The app provides memory viewing, searching, and editing, plus programmatic control through Lua or C#.NET. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Editing movies: TAStudio is a piano-roll interface integrated with EmuHawk for composing movies, using savestates to rewind and adjust inputs. · tasvideos.org, 5 Oct 2026
Integrations: EmuHawk supports Lua and C#.NET scripting and has rebindable keyboard, mouse, and gamepad hotkeys. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
License: The repository says the BizHawk team's original work is provided under the MIT License, while warning that repository licensing is heterogeneous and advising users to contact the team about licensing details. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Linux limits: The Linux build is for x86_64 CPUs, and the README notes that Mupen64Plus (N64) is a notable omission on Linux. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Movie recording: EmuHawk can make movies with rerecording for 45 or more systems. · tasvideos.org, 5 Oct 2026
Operating systems: The current README provides installation instructions for Windows and Unix, and says BizHawk is unavailable for Android and iOS. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Product: BizHawk is an emulation project whose EmuHawk app is a multi-system emulator written in C#. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Purpose: BizHawk is an emulation project whose EmuHawk app is a multi-system emulator with recording, playback, and debugging tools. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Recording and playback: EmuHawk supports input recording to make tool-assisted speedrun movies. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Release stability: The README recommends stable releases for work requiring stability, such as TASing, and development builds only when a specific change is needed. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Scripting: The frontend and cores can be controlled programmatically with Lua or C#.NET. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Security policy: The project lists versions 2.11 and 2.10 as supported, advises updating to the latest release, and accepts vulnerability reports through GitHub. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Security support: The security policy lists versions 2.11 and 2.10 as supported and directs vulnerability reports to the BizHawk team on GitHub. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Support: The project directs users to its TASVideos subforum, Discord channels, GitHub issue tracker, and README troubleshooting information. · tasvideos.org, 5 Oct 2026
System support: The README lists support for systems including Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Sony PlayStation, arcade machines, and DOS/Windows. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
TAStudio: EmuHawk integrates with TAStudio, a piano-roll interface for composing movies that uses savestates to rewind and adjust inputs. · tasvideos.org, 5 Oct 2026
Unavailable platforms: The README says BizHawk is unavailable for Android and iOS, and current EmuHawk does not work on macOS. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Windows requirements: For current versions, the README says the MSVC++ redistributable is the only required component beyond the download. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026