Side by side
FCEUX vs gem5
Both stand on emulator software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Choose FCEUX for free emulation of its supported systems, especially if you want debugging, scripting, or movie tools. Look elsewhere if network play is a requirement, since it is not functional in the Win32 and SDL ports and the project has no plans to fix it.
Visit FCEUX
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted
gem5 provides a broad set of architecture simulation capabilities and research-oriented experiment tools. Users should check its documented build support and licensing details for the portions they plan to use.
Visit gem5The facts
| FCEUX | gem5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Windows | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | fceux.com | gem5.org |
| On emulator software | #14 of 39 | #18 of 39 |
FCEUX: what it does well
- Emulates NES, Famicom, Famicom Disk System, and Dendy.
- Supports NTSC, PAL, and NTSC-PAL Hybrid video modes.
- Includes debugging, ROM hacking, map making, and Lua scripting tools.
- Qt/SDL includes a TAS Editor and movie recording.
- Free and open source.
What to know first
- Network play in the Win32 and SDL ports is not functional.
- The project says it has no plans to fix network play.
- Building the Qt/SDL port requires several dependencies and CMake.
gem5: what it does well
- Supports seven listed instruction sets.
- Offers full-system and application-only simulation.
- Includes memory-system models and multiple CPU models.
- gem5art supports experiment artifacts and reproducibility.
What to know first
- Regular v25.0 support is limited to specified Ubuntu and kernel combinations.
- The NoMali model does not produce visual output.
- Some portions retain their original licenses.