PHPBoy

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Freedom report

Two barsScore 5.5

Free tierNo free tier on record
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely3 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

PHPBoy is ranked #12 of 23 in Game Boy emulators on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, macOS, Web.

Compared on Game Boy emulators

Supported systems: Game Boy, Game Boy Color
Supported platforms: CLI terminal, browser WebAssembly, SDL2 native desktop (work in progress)

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The record

Product: PHPBoy is a Game Boy Color emulator written in PHP 8.4 with backward compatibility for original Game Boy games.
Frontends: It provides a CLI terminal frontend, a browser WebAssembly frontend, and an SDL2 desktop frontend that is still a work in progress.
Emulation: The emulator supports GBC color palettes and DMG backward compatibility.
Cartridges: Its cartridge support includes MBC1, MBC3, and MBC5.
Accuracy: It passes all 11 of Blargg’s CPU instruction tests; 10 of 39 Mooneye tests pass, with further support in progress.
Performance: The README reports 25–30 FPS without JIT and 60+ FPS with PHP JIT enabled.
Audio: The CLI frontend supports audio using SoX, while browser audio output is in progress.
Browser use: The WebAssembly version runs in a browser without a backend and supports keyboard controls, speed control, and pause/resume.
Browser limits: The README describes the browser version as slow due to WebAssembly overhead and lists Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+, or Edge 90+ with WebAssembly support.
Desktop status: The SDL2 desktop frontend is experimental and is not fully tested or integrated.
Requirements: The project lists Docker, Docker Compose, and Make as requirements, with SoX needed for CLI audio playback.
Development tools: The project describes a Docker-based development workflow using PHPUnit 10 and PHPStan level 9.
License: The repository is released under the MIT License.
Maker: The GitHub profile identifies the maker as Edd Mann and lists London, UK.

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Game Boy Emulators in 2026#12 of 23

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Sources

github.com/eddmann/phpboy· checked 4 Oct 2026
github.com/eddmann· checked 4 Oct 2026