NeoCD/SDL

Windows · Linux

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Freedom report

Two barsScore 6.4

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely2 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

NeoCD/SDL is ranked #3 of 18 in neo geo emulators on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, Windows. There is a free plan.

NeoCD/SDL plans and pricing

All plans

Free Free FREE selling is not allowed · source-code reuse and technical knowledge limited to non-commercial purposes · requires an original NeoGeo CD BIOS github.com · 30 Sept 2026

Compared on neo geo emulators

Free plan: Yes
Neo Geo CD support: Yes
Supported platforms: Windows, Linux, BeOS, Dreamcast

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The record

Purpose: NeoCD/SDL is a port of the NeoCD NeoGeo CD emulator to the multiplatform SDL library.
Game support: It can run many original NeoGeo CD games.
Supported systems: The repository says it can compile and run on Windows, Linux, BeOS and Dreamcast.
Additional ports: The project page lists ports for Dreamcast, Xbox and PlayStation 2.
SDL implementation: SDL portions were written by Fosters in 2001 and 2003–2004.
Input: Player 1 and Player 2 can each use a keyboard or a separate joystick.
Controls: The emulator provides fullscreen, video-effect, frameskip, sound, screenshot and quit controls through keyboard shortcuts.
BIOS requirement: Running the emulator requires a system ROM named neocd.bin that is 512kb and not compressed.
BIOS ownership: The documentation says users are not entitled to a copy of the copyrighted BIOS unless they own an original NeoGeo CD console.
Distribution restriction: The documentation says NeoCD and its source code are free, selling is not allowed, and NeoCD cannot be provided on the same physical medium as NeoGeo game software.
Reuse restriction: Source code and technical knowledge may be reused only for non-commercial purposes.
Downloads: The listed downloads include both source and binary files.
Build requirements: Windows builds require MinGW, MSYS, SDL development libraries and NASM; Linux builds require SDL source and NASM.
Warranty: The program is distributed without any warranty, including implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Neo Geo Emulators in 2026#3 of 18

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Sources

github.com/joolswills/neocdsdl· checked 30 Sept 2026
pacifi3d.retrogames.com/neocdsdl/· checked 30 Sept 2026
github.com/joolswills/neocdsdl/blob/master/compile· checked 30 Sept 2026