No. 15 of 30 ·Commodore 64 Emulators

C64 by ChronoCoders

Windows · Linux

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Freedom report

No signalScore 5.3

Free tierNo free tier on record
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely2 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedThinly documented

C64 by ChronoCoders is ranked #15 of 30 in Commodore 64 emulators on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, Windows.

Compared on Commodore 64 emulators

Free plan: Yes
Supported platforms: Linux x86-64; Windows x86-64 (MSYS2 MinGW64)
Disk and tape formats: D64 disk images
Emulated C64 variants: Commodore 64
Bundled software library: No

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The record

Purpose: C64 is a cycle-accurate Commodore 64 and 1541 disk-drive emulator written from scratch in C11.
Hardware emulation: It models the C64 and 1541 as separate machines with independent clock domains and a real IEC serial bus.
Software compatibility: The project says it runs commercial software, including real games verified beyond unit tests.
Audio and graphics: Its documented features include VIC-II graphics modes and sprites, plus SID 6581 sound resampled to 44.1 kHz.
Disk support: The 1541 model supports LOAD, SAVE, and NEW, and writes disk changes back to the .d64 file on clean exit.
Controls: Keyboard, joystick, and SDL-recognized game controllers are supported, with configurable joystick port and keyboard layout.
Build requirements: The GUI binary requires a C11 compiler and SDL2; the project documents Linux x86-64 and Windows x86-64 using MSYS2 MinGW64 as verified platforms.
ROM requirement: Copyrighted C64 ROM images are not included, so users must provide their own legally obtained copies to run the emulator.
License: The repository source code is available under the MIT License, which grants use without charge and disclaims warranties.
License limits: The MIT license covers repository source only; it does not cover ROM images, disk images, cartridges, or other software used with the emulator.
Save states: Snapshots are limited to the same platform, build, endianness, and compiler ABI.
Maker: The repository copyright notice names Altug Tatlisu.
CPU and bus: The C64 and 1541 run in separate clock domains and communicate over a modelled IEC serial bus.
Graphics: The VIC-II implementation covers five graphics modes, sprites, collisions, badlines, raster interrupts, and border effects.

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Commodore 64 Emulators in 2026#15 of 30

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Sources

github.com/ChronoCoders/C64· checked 7 Oct 2026
github.com/ChronoCoders/C64/blob/main/BUILDING.md· checked 7 Oct 2026
github.com/ChronoCoders/C64/blob/main/LICENSE· checked 7 Oct 2026
github.com/ChronoCoders/C64/tree/main/docs· checked 7 Oct 2026