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vAmiga

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What vAmiga is

vAmiga emulates the Commodore Amiga 500, 1000 and 2000 on macOS, with OCS, ECS and AGA chipset configurations. It aims to reproduce the machines’ timing precisely, including memory access on the same DMA cycles, while its graphical interface is designed to make technical details less prominent. The free, open-source app began development in 2019. It opens disk images and folders in formats including ADF, Extended ADF, DMS, EXE, IMG and HDF. A Kickstart ROM is required: original Commodore ROMs are not supplied, but two freely redistributable AROS revisions are included. Snapshots can freeze and restore emulator state, though their storage is not persistent and they may stop working between releases. Users can connect two emulator instances through an emulated null modem cable. Input options include keyboard-emulated joysticks, compatible USB controllers and original Commodore joysticks with adapters. CPU inspection, breakpoints, watchpoints, DMA visualization and a script-capable console are among its debugging tools. It requires macOS 12 Monterey or later.

Who it suits

vAmiga suits macOS users who want to run Amiga 500, 1000 or 2000 software and configure OCS, ECS or AGA systems. Its debugging tools and timing focus may also suit users who want to inspect emulator activity.

What it does well

  • Free and open-source under the GNU General Public License.
  • Supports ADF, Extended ADF, DMS, EXE, IMG and HDF.
  • Two AROS Kickstart ROM revisions are included.
  • Two emulator instances can connect through a null modem cable.
  • Includes CPU debugging, breakpoints and DMA visualization.

What to know first

  • Requires macOS 12 Monterey or later.
  • A Kickstart ROM is required; original Commodore ROMs are not supplied.
  • Snapshot storage is not persistent.
  • Snapshots may stop working between releases.

Limits

The documented deployment target is macOS 12 Monterey or later. Running requires a Kickstart ROM; original Commodore ROMs are not shipped, and snapshots are non-persistent and can become incompatible between releases.

Getting started

  1. Use a Mac running macOS 12 Monterey or later
  2. Download vAmiga from its project website
  3. Provide a required Kickstart ROM or use an included AROS revision
  4. Load an Amiga disk image or folder
  5. Configure global and per-instance virtual machine settings
  6. Choose keyboard, USB controller, or adapter-based joystick input

Verdict

vAmiga combines support for three Amiga models with disk-image handling, input options and detailed debugging tools. Check the macOS requirement, ROM situation and snapshot limitations before relying on it.

Questions

Which computers does vAmiga emulate?

It emulates Commodore Amiga 500, Amiga 1000, and Amiga 2000 systems with OCS, ECS, and AGA configurations.

Is vAmiga free and open source?

Yes. vAmiga is free and released under the GNU General Public License; its CPU core uses the MIT license.

What macOS version is required?

The documented deployment target is macOS 12 Monterey or later.

Does vAmiga include a Kickstart ROM?

Two AROS ROM revisions are included as a freely redistributable alternative. A Kickstart ROM is required, and original Commodore ROMs are not supplied.

Can two emulator instances connect?

Yes. Two instances can connect through an emulated null modem cable using socket connections, with port 8080 as the default.

What disk formats can it open?

Supported formats include ADF, Extended ADF, DMS, EXE, IMG, HDF, and folders.

Facts from vAmiga's own pages

Accuracy
The emulator aims for cycle-exact precision, performing memory accesses on the same DMA cycles as the original machine. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Configuration
Global emulator settings and per-instance virtual machine settings are configured separately. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Controllers
The emulator supports keyboard-emulated joysticks, compatible USB gamepads and original Commodore joysticks through RetroFun! or aJoy adapters. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Debugging
Inspector tools provide CPU debugging, breakpoints, watchpoints, DMA visualization, activity monitors, stencils and a RetroShell console that can process scripts. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Development
Development began in January 2019. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Disk formats
Supported formats include ADF, Extended ADF, DMS, EXE, IMG, folders and HDF. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Founded
2019 · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 28 Sept 2026
Hosting
The website is hosted on GitHub Inc. servers. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Input devices
Input options include keyboard emulation, external USB joysticks, game controllers and the RetroFun USB adapter for original Commodore joysticks. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Interface
It provides a graphical interface designed to hide technical details from users. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Kickstart ROM
A Kickstart ROM is required; original Commodore ROMs are not shipped, while two AROS ROM revisions are included as a freely redistributable alternative. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Latest release
The project news page states that vAmiga 5.0 Beta 1 added AGA support, with no productivity-mode support and incomplete 68EC020 timing and instruction-cache emulation. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
License
vAmiga is open-source under the GNU General Public License, while its CPU core is under the MIT license. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Multiplayer
Two emulator instances can connect through an emulated null modem cable using socket connections, with port 8080 as the default. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Privacy
The website can be visited without registration, stores accessed pages, filenames, dates and times for statistical purposes, and says personal data is not shared without consent. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Purpose
vAmiga emulates Commodore Amiga 500, 1000 and 2000 computers on macOS. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
ROM requirement
Running the emulator requires a Kickstart ROM; original Amiga ROMs are not shipped with it, and the manual describes AROS ROMs as an included alternative. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Snapshots
Snapshots can freeze and restore emulator state, but snapshot storage is not persistent and snapshots may stop working between releases. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Support
The maker welcomes bug reports on GitHub. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
Supported macOS
The documented deployment target is macOS 12 Monterey; the app is extensively tested only with the latest macOS version. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
System requirement
The deployment target is macOS 12 Monterey, and earlier macOS releases cannot run the app. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026
User interface
vAmiga provides an easy-to-use graphical interface intended to hide technical details from users. · dirkwhoffmann.github.io, 2 Oct 2026

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