HalfNES

6.9easy start · #4 of 26
in NES Emulators

Runs on Linux, Mac, Windows.

HalfNES is ranked #4 of 26 in NES emulators on The Geeks Club. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. There is a free plan.

HalfNES plans and pricing

HalfNES Free No savestates · Requires Java 8 or newer github.com · 4 Oct 2026

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Purpose: HalfNES is an accurate NES/Famicom emulator.
Controller support: It supports joysticks through DirectInput and xInput.
Game compatibility: It supports the mapper numbers listed in the README and says almost all US released games will start, though some still have graphics corruption or freezing.
Audio: The listed features include an accurate sound core and an NSF player.
Controls: Controls are remappable through the Preferences dialog.
Display: The README lists full screen mode and an NTSC filter.
Save support: It supports battery saves but explicitly says it has no savestates.
Downloads: The README directs users to GitHub releases, which include a Windows executable and a JAR for other platforms.
Runtime requirement: Java 8 or newer is required to run either package.
Linux setup: Linux users need to set execute permissions on the JAR.
Gamepad limitation: Gamepad buttons are currently not configurable, and the controller must be plugged in before a game is loaded to be detected.
PAL support: PAL games are supported but may have more issues, and users should select PAL in Preferences to run them.
Performance: The README says a 2 GHz Athlon 64 or better is required to run all games at full speed, and the NTSC filter requires much more processing power.
License: The repository identifies its license as GPL-3.0.
Price from: Free

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