Mednafen

Free plan LinuxWindows

What Mednafen is

Mednafen is a free, portable multi-system emulator controlled through a command line and built around OpenGL and SDL. Its supported systems include Apple II, Atari Lynx, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, NES, SNES, Sega Saturn, and Sony PlayStation. Players can remap hotkeys and virtual system inputs to a keyboard, joystick, or both. The emulator supports save states, real-time rewinding, PNG screen snapshots, QuickTime movie recording, and WAV sound logging. Non-CD games can be loaded from gzip or Zstandard files and ZIP archives. CD games can be loaded from ZIP archives when CD image memory caching is enabled; otherwise, CD-ROM games are loaded from dumped disc images. Physical CD support was removed in version 0.9.38. Network play uses an external dedicated server program. Mednafen is available for Linux and Windows, and the project says it is distributed under the GNU GPLv2. Its documentation warns that specially constructed save states may lock up the emulator, consume substantial CPU, or potentially execute host code, so files from untrusted parties require caution.

Who it suits

Mednafen suits people seeking a free emulator for its supported systems who are comfortable with a command-line-driven tool. It may also suit users who want save states, rewinding, capture features, or network play through a separate server.

What it does well

Supports systems including NES, SNES, and PlayStation.
Offers save states and real-time rewinding.
Can record QuickTime movies and WAV sound.
Input mapping supports keyboards and joysticks.
Free and distributed under the GNU GPLv2.

What to know first

Command-line-driven rather than described as graphical.
Physical CD support was removed in version 0.9.38.
Network play requires an external dedicated server.
Untrusted save states may pose security risks.

Limits

Physical CD support is not available; CD-ROM games must be loaded from dumped disc images. Loading CD games from ZIP archives requires CD image memory caching. MP3 audio referenced by CUE sheets is unsupported.

Getting started

Open the Mednafen website.
Get a Windows build or source code from the releases page.
For Windows, use a system running Windows XP or newer; the site recommends the 64-bit build.
Load supported game files or dumped CD images.
Map hotkeys and virtual inputs to a keyboard, joystick, or both as needed.
For network play, use an external dedicated server program.

Verdict

Mednafen combines support for multiple systems with save, rewind, and capture features. Note its command-line approach, disc-image requirements, and warnings about untrusted save states.

Questions

Is Mednafen free and open source?

Yes. It is free and distributed under the GNU GPLv2.

Which platforms can I use?

The listed platforms are Linux and Windows. Windows builds require Windows XP or newer.

Which systems does it support?

Listed systems include Apple II, Atari Lynx, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, NES, SNES, Sega Saturn, and Sony PlayStation.

Can I play CD-ROM games?

Yes, from dumped disc images. Physical CD support was removed in version 0.9.38, and ZIP archives require CD image memory caching.

Does it support network play?

Yes, but network play uses an external dedicated server program.

Is it safe to load save states from other people?

The documentation warns that specially constructed save states may cause lockups, consume substantial CPU, or potentially execute host code. It advises against loading states from untrusted parties.

Facts from Mednafen's own pages

Audio format limitation: MP3 is not supported for audio files referenced by CUE sheets. · mednafen.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Build platforms: The releases page says Mednafen has been successfully compiled on FreeBSD, Linux, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Windows. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
CD limitation: Physical CD support was removed in version 0.9.38; CD-ROM games are loaded from dumped disc images. · mednafen.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
CD support: Mednafen loads CD-ROM games from disc images, and physical CD support was removed in version 0.9.38. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Controls: It supports remapping hotkeys and virtual system inputs to a keyboard, joystick, or both. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Downloads: The releases page lists 32-bit and 64-bit Windows builds and source code; it says Windows XP or newer is required for Windows builds. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Features: Core features include save states, real-time rewinding, PNG snapshots, QuickTime movie recording, and WAV sound logging. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
File formats: It can load non-CD games from gzip or Zstandard files and ZIP archives; CD games can load from ZIP archives when CD image memory caching is enabled. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
File safety: CUE, TOC, and PSF files can reference arbitrary files, and the documentation says the default-enabled filesys.untrusted_fip_check setting mitigates a potential information-leak issue. · mednafen.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Game file formats: It can load non-CD games from gzip and Zstandard files or ZIP archives, and CD games from ZIP archives when CD image memory caching is enabled. · mednafen.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
License: Mednafen is distributed under the GNU GPLv2. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Network play: Network play is supported through an external dedicated server program. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Product: Mednafen is a portable, OpenGL- and SDL-based, command-line multi-system emulator. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Purpose: Mednafen is a portable, command-line-driven multi-system emulator that uses OpenGL and SDL. · mednafen.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Save and capture features: It supports save states, real-time rewinding, PNG screen snapshots, QuickTime movie recording, and WAV sound logging. · mednafen.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Security: The documentation warns that specially constructed save states can lock up or abort the emulator, consume substantial CPU, and potentially execute host code. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Security guidance: The documentation warns that specially constructed save states may cause a lockup, consume substantial CPU, or potentially execute arbitrary host code, and advises against loading states from untrusted parties. · mednafen.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Security setting: The filesys.untrusted_fip_check setting is enabled by default to mitigate a potential information-leak issue involving included files. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Support: The official site links to a Mednafen forum and an FAQ. · mednafen.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Supported build systems: The releases page lists successful compilation on FreeBSD, Linux, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Windows. · mednafen.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Supported systems: Its listed systems include Apple II, Atari Lynx, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, NES, SNES, Sega Saturn, and Sony PlayStation. · mednafen.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Systems: It supports systems including Apple II, Atari Lynx, Game Boy, NES, SNES, Sega Saturn, and Sony PlayStation. · mednafen.github.io, 3 Oct 2026
Windows requirements: The releases page says Windows builds require Windows XP or newer and recommends the 64-bit build for better performance and functionality. · mednafen.github.io, 2 Oct 2026