FinalBurn Neo

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What FinalBurn Neo is

FinalBurn Neo is a free emulator for arcade games and select consoles, with builds documented for Android, Linux, macOS, Windows, and Raspberry Pi. Its emulation scope includes Capcom CPS-1, CPS-2, and CPS-3, Neo Geo, and Sega System 16. The project is based on FinalBurn and older versions of MAME, and describes accurate emulation, high performance, netplay, rewinding, and shader effects. A LibRetro port is available through RetroArch for many platforms. The project recommends the SDL2 port over SDL1.2; SDL2 adds a renderer, on-screen display, game selection, and ROM scanning. Linux SDL2 builds can be compiled with make sdl2 and require SDL2, SDL2_image, GCC, make, Perl, and NASM. The macOS build has been tested successfully on High Sierra and later; its launcher imports ZIP and 7z archives, but the build supports keyboard and mouse input only, not joysticks. The listed terms allow use, modification, and distribution, but prohibit sale or monetary profit; ROM images require legal distribution rights.

Who it suits

It suits retro gaming enthusiasts seeking to run supported arcade games and select consoles on modern systems. Linux builders and macOS users should consider the stated build requirements and input limitations.

What it does well

Emulates CPS-1, CPS-2, CPS-3, Neo Geo, and Sega System 16.
Describes netplay, rewinding, and shader effects.
LibRetro port is available through RetroArch.
Builds are documented for several platforms.

What to know first

macOS build does not support joysticks.
Linux SDL2 builds require several development tools.
Listed terms prohibit sale or monetary profit.
ROM images require legal distribution rights.

Limits

The free and open-source plan is listed as free, and its terms prohibit sale or monetary-profit use. ROM images require legal distribution rights. On macOS, joystick input is unsupported.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Free and open source	May be used, modified, and distributed · Cannot be sold or used for monetary profit · ROM images require legal distribution rights	Free
Free software	Non-commercial use · source changes must be shared · ROMs are not included	Free

As github.com lists them, read 1 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Open the project website on GitHub.
Choose a documented build for Android, Windows, macOS, Linux or Raspberry Pi, or use the LibRetro port through RetroArch.
For Linux SDL2, install SDL2, SDL2_image, GCC, make, Perl and NASM, then compile with make sdl2.
On macOS, use the launcher to import ZIP or 7z archives.
Use ROM images only when you have legal distribution rights.

Verdict

FinalBurn Neo covers a range of arcade systems and offers features such as netplay and rewinding across several documented builds. Check the platform-specific requirements and the stated restrictions on commercial use and ROM distribution.

Questions

How much does FinalBurn Neo cost?

The listed Free and open-source plan costs nothing.

Which platforms does it support?

Android, Windows, macOS and Linux are listed. The project also documents Raspberry Pi builds and a LibRetro port through RetroArch for many platforms.

Which arcade and console systems does it emulate?

Listed systems include Capcom CPS-1, CPS-2, CPS-3, Neo Geo and Sega System 16.

Does it support netplay?

Yes. Netplay is listed as a feature.

Can I use a joystick on macOS?

No. The macOS build supports keyboard and mouse input, while joysticks are unsupported.

What do the listed plan terms allow?

The plan terms allow use, modification and distribution, but prohibit selling or using the software for monetary profit. ROM images require legal distribution rights.

Facts from FinalBurn Neo's own pages

Accuracy and speed: The project says it prioritizes accurate, high-performance emulation for vintage hardware. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Arcade coverage: The project supports systems including Capcom CPS-1, CPS-2, CPS-3, Neo Geo and Sega System 16. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company identity: The official GitHub organization identifies the maker as FinalBurn Neo / Team FBNeo and lists related repositories for cheats, extras, translations and the wiki. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Console coverage: The Libretro documentation lists drivers for systems such as NES, SNES, Mega Drive, Master System, ColecoVision, PC Engine, Neo Geo Pocket and ZX Spectrum. · docs.libretro.com, 15 Oct 2026
Contribution policy: The project welcomes pull requests and other submissions and aims to maintain C++03 compliance as a minimum. · github.com, 1 Oct 2026
Developer portability: The maintainers target at least C++03 compatibility and invite pull requests and new ports. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Documentation and support: Users are directed to GitHub issues and the NeoSource forums, with Discord also linked from the repository. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Emulation scope: It emulates systems including Capcom CPS-1, CPS-2, CPS-3, Neo Geo, and Sega System 16. · github.com, 1 Oct 2026
Extensibility: The source tree separates emulation, drivers, frontend, CPU code, dependencies and platform interfaces to support ports. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Feature matrix: LibRetro documentation lists saves, save states, rewind, run-ahead, preemptive frames, netplay, cheats, controllers, multi-mouse, IPS patches, ROM data and multilingual support. · docs.libretro.com, 15 Oct 2026
Independent project scale: The NeoSource community wiki describes FBNeo as an active open-source 2D emulator covering more than 8,000 arcade games across about 600 systems. · wiki.neo-source.com, 15 Oct 2026
Key features: The project describes accurate emulation, high performance, netplay, rewinding, and shader effects. · github.com, 1 Oct 2026
Latest news: The repository's latest nightly release was published on October 15, 2026 and added Warrior Man support. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Licence: The bundled licence permits use, modification and redistribution only on a non-commercial basis, requires source sharing and preserves copyright notices. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: controller mapping: A LibRetro forum report describes an update that mapped one controller button to three actions and made many games unplayable until mappings were adjusted. · forums.libretro.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: frontend setup: A LaunchBox forum user reported that ROM paths had to be configured and saved inside FBNeo before LaunchBox launches worked. · forums.launchbox-app.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: macOS controls: The macOS documentation identifies joystick input as unsupported. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: maintenance by platform: The October 2026 release notes say standalone macOS and Linux ports are not actively maintained and may miss features, recommending LibRetro or Windows builds through Wine/Crossover. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: RetroArch users: Google Play reviewers complain about a difficult interface, weak documentation for file naming and netplay, and updates that broke saves or states. · play.google.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: ROM-set compatibility: Independent documentation warns that active development can change expected ROM sets, so ROM archives must match the core version and naming rules. · barotto.github.io, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: security documentation: GitHub reports that the repository has no SECURITY.md policy and no published security advisories. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: setup requirements: LibRetro documentation requires exact CRC and archive layouts and lists numerous BIOS files for particular arcade and console systems. · docs.libretro.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: storage: Retro Game Corps reports that the current FBNeo ROM set is about 17.6 GB, with a Neo Geo set around 2–4 GB. · retrogamecorps.com, 15 Oct 2026
Linux build: Linux SDL2 builds can be compiled with make sdl2 and require SDL2, SDL2_image, GCC, make, Perl, and NASM. · github.com, 1 Oct 2026

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