puNES

Windows · Linux

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Freedom report

One barScore 5.5

Free tierNo free tier on record
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely2 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

puNES is ranked #12 of 26 in NES emulators on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, Windows.

Compared on NES emulators

Free plan: Yes
Supported platforms: Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Windows
Save states: Yes
Rewind: Yes
Shader support: Yes
Cheat support: Yes

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The record

Product: puNES is a Qt-based Nintendo Entertainment System emulator and NSF/NSF2/NSFe music player.
Work in progress builds: The project offers Linux x86_64 AppImage builds and 32-bit and 64-bit Windows builds with OpenGL or D3D9.
Build platforms: The project documents compilation for Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and Windows.
Windows compatibility: The README says its 32-bit Windows versions are compatible with Windows XP.
Mapper support: The README lists support for a broad set of numbered cartridge mappers and UNIF boards.
Portable mode: Portable mode can be enabled with a puNES.cfg file beside the executable, an executable name ending in _p, or the --portable option.
Command line: The README says to start puNES with -h to see available command-line options.
Recording: Optional FFmpeg support enables audio and video recording; the README lists formats including WAV, MP3, AAC, FLAC, MPEG, H.264, WebM, and AVI.
Linux requirements: Linux builds require CMake 3.14 or newer and Qt5 or Qt6 with OpenGL support, among other dependencies.
Windows graphics: The project supports OpenGL and Direct3D 9 Windows builds.
Translations: The README lists translations in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.
Save-state compatibility: The README warns that save states from version 0.110 or earlier are no longer compatible with current work-in-progress builds.
Build status: The project describes its current executables as work-in-progress builds and warns that core changes may introduce bugs.
Project license: The repository provides a COPYING license file, but the opened page does not state security certifications or compliance claims.

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best NES Emulators in 2026#12 of 26

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Sources

github.com/punesemu/puNES· checked 30 Sept 2026