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How to Play Arcade Games at Home

Specific Machines or Emulated Ones?

The answer depends on several factors.

Hardware Options

Evercade

MiSTer

Polycade

Recommended Emulators, Simulators, and Hypervisors

Physical pinball: Visual Pinball and Visual PinMAME

Supported platform: Windows

Neo Geo MVS and old Capcom games: FinalBurn Neo or FinalBurn Alpha

The FinalBurn emulators are specifically optimized for games from the '80s and '90s. The Neo variant is the one being actively developed, so the Alpha variant is only recommended if your machine does not run the former well.

Neo's supported platforms: Windows, macOS, and *Linux natively; Android, Switch, Wii U, PS3, and iOS via RetroArch

Alpha's supported platforms: Windows natively; Android, macOS, *Linux, Vita, and Wii via RetroArch

LaserDisc games: Hypseus Singe

Some interactive films have not been ported to consoles or computers, so this is the only way to play those specific ones without their cabinets.

Supported platforms: Windows, macOS, and *Linux

Sega Model 2 games: Model 2 Emulator

Some of this system's games do not have ports for Saturn or PS3. This program is your friend in this situation.

Supported platforms: Windows natively, *Linux via Wine

Sega Model 3 games: Supermodel

Supported platforms: Windows, macOS, and *Linux

NAOMI and Atomiswave games: DEmul or Flycast

Because the NAOMI line has similar hardware to the Dreamcast's, these emulators also run the line's games. Flycast is the one receiving updates, though its compatibility is hit-or-miss at the time of typing this.

DEmul's supported platforms: Windows natively, *Linux via Wine

Flycast's supported platforms: Windows, macOS, *Linux, Android, and Switch

e-Amusement games: spice2x

This is a set of programs that run Konami's Windows Embedded-optimized games on regular computers. An AMD processor and GPU might have trouble with them. Read bemani.guide and the PC optimization guide to learn how to make a specific game work.

Supported platform: Windows

Other PC-based games: TeknoParrot

Supported platform: Windows

Triforce games: Nintendont

Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 and F-Zero AX are playable with this hypervisor.

Supported platforms: Wii natively, Wii U via backwards compatibility

Games that do not work in the programs listed above: MAME or HBMAME

MAME tries to be a jack of all trades

MAME's supported platforms: Windows, macOS, *Linux, and *BSD natively;

HBMAME's supported platforms: