Side by side

Genesis Plus GX vs PicoDrive

Both stand on sega master system emulators. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Genesis Plus GX

Free plan LinuxWindows

Genesis Plus GX covers a broad range of Sega systems and media formats, with standalone GameCube and Wii builds and frontend options. Its compatibility claim has stated caveats, and its multi-platform core source cannot be used commercially.

Visit Genesis Plus GX

PicoDrive

Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWindows

PicoDrive covers a broad set of Sega systems and includes specialized input and media features. Users should note its manual installation process and the README's development-status caveat.

Visit PicoDrive

The facts

	Genesis Plus GX	PicoDrive
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux, Windows	Linux, Self-hosted, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	github.com	github.com
On sega master system emulators	#9 of 25	#13 of 25

Genesis Plus GX: what it does well

Supports six listed Sega system families
Reads ROMs and several CD image formats
Emulates controllers, multitaps, mouse, and light guns
Standalone GameCube and Wii builds are available
Save states, shaders, netplay, and cheats are supported

What to know first

Multi-platform core source has a non-commercial license
PICO emulation is preliminary
Some Master System games require particular hardware or modes

PicoDrive: what it does well

Supports Sega systems through the 32X.
Includes save states.
Supports enhanced CD audio formats.
Offers mouse, keyboard, and cassette emulation features.

What to know first

Release packages or ZIP archives require manual installation.
Helix sources for 32-bit ARM MP3 playback are not included.
The original repository is updated less often than a fork.

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