Stella is a multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator.
Stella allows you to enjoy all of your favorite 2600 games once again by emulating the 2600’s hardware with software.
Stella is written in C++, which allows it to be ported to other operating systems and architectures
Features include:
- High speed emulation using optimized C++ code.
- Supports high quality TIA emulation using the cycle-exact TIA core.
- Supports high quality sound emulation using code derived from Chris Brenner’s Atari 2600 FPGA project, including cycle-exact audio, analog interference from mixing of audio channels, as well as stereo sound support; dynamic sound resampling is also included.
- Emulates the Atari 2600 Joystick Controllers using your computer’s keyboard, joysticks or mouse.
- Emulates the Atari 2600 Keyboard Controllers using your computer’s keyboard.
- Emulates the Atari 2600 Paddle Controllers using your computer’s mouse, keyboard or joysticks.
- Emulates the Atari 2600 Driving Controllers using your computer’s keyboard, joysticks or mouse.
- Emulates the CBS BoosterGrip Controller using your computer’s keyboard, joysticks or mouse.
- Emulates the Sega Genesis Controller using your computer’s keyboard, joysticks or mouse.
- Emulates CX22/CX80 style trackballs and Amiga/Atari Mouse using your computer’s mouse.
- Emulates Spectravideo CompuMate system using your computer’s keyboard, including mapping of CompuMate ‘Backspace’, ‘Space’ and ‘Enter’ functionality to to the actual keys on your keyboard.
- Emulates the Mindlink Controller using your computer’s mouse.
- Support for real Atari 2600 controllers using the Stelladaptor and 2600-daptor/2600-daptor II
- Support for the speech portion of a real AtariVox device connected to your PC using a USB adaptor.
- Supports EEPROM emulation for AtariVox and SaveKey controllers, as well as FLASH support in various cartridge schemes
- Supports all known bankswitching schemes.
- Supports DPC+/CDF bankswitching schemes from the Harmony Cart, including partial emulation of the ARM processor.
- Supports cartridge autodetection for almost all bankswitching schemes
- Supports using ROM filename extensions to force specific bankswitching schemes.
- Supports Supercharger single-load and multi-load games.
- Supports ROMs stored in ZIP and GZIP format, as well as the usual raw A26/BIN/ROM formats.
- Supports property file for setting the properties associated with games.
- Supports the NTSC, PAL and SECAM television standards in 50Hz and 60Hz mode.
- Supports autodetection of display format for 50Hz vs. 60Hz modes.
- Supports most “undocumented features” of the TIA graphics chip used by some games.
- TIA emulation supports full collision checking, with ability to disable TIA sprites and collisions for each object separately.
- Full system state save/load functionality.
- Automatic save state creation (‘Time Machine’) which allows moving back and forth in the recorded timeline.
- Cross-platform UI including a built-in ROM launcher frontend.
- Built-in extensive debugger, including static analysis with the Distella disassembler and dynamic analysis at runtime by tracking code/graphics/data sections, and generation of DASM-compatible disassembly files.
- Emulation of CRT TV systems using Blargg filtering, including presets for several common TV outputs (composite, S-video, RGB, etc.), and ability to fully customize many attributes (contrast, brightness, saturation, gamma, etc.).
- Built-in ROM database with information partially compiled by RomHunter.
Website: stella-emu.github.io
Support: User Guide, FAQ
Developer: Stephen Anthony, Christian Speckner, Thomas Jentzsch, Eckhard Stolberg
License: GNU General Public License
Stella is written in C++ and C. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Return to Video Console Game Emulators
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