higan is a free, standalone emulator for multiple game systems, with a stated focus on accuracy, preservation, and configurability. Its supported systems include Famicom, Super Famicom, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Mega Drive, PC Engine, MSX, ColecoVision, Neo Geo Pocket, and WonderSwan. Official releases are available through the project's GitHub releases page. Automated nightly builds are also listed for Windows, macOS, Ubuntu Linux, and FreeBSD, but those builds are untested. The distribution includes icarus, a game library importer, as well as the libco, nall, ruby, and hiro components. The project was originally developed by Near. higan is free software under the GNU General Public License version 3 or a later version, whose terms state that the software comes without warranty. The project links to a discussion forum and Discord chat for community support. Its listed platforms include Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Who it is for
higan may suit people seeking a standalone emulator for one of its supported systems, particularly those interested in configurability and preservation. It is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
What is good
- Supports a broad range of named game systems.
- Official releases are available from GitHub.
- Includes icarus, a game library importer.
- Discussion forum and Discord links are provided.
What to know first
- Nightly builds are untested.
- The license provides no warranty.
Verdict
higan offers a free standalone emulator with support for many systems and a focus on accuracy, preservation, and configurability. Users choosing a nightly build should note that it is untested, and the license provides no warranty.
higan plans and pricing
All plansCompared on multi-system emulators
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Ubuntu Linux, FreeBSD