The Best Game Boy Emulators in 2026
We researched Game Boy emulators through official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. Rankings focus on the category’s core job, value for money and verified features, helping you compare software for playing original Game Boy and Game Boy Color games across compatible devices.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
SameBoy#1 of 239.4/10Accurate, feature-rich Game Boy emulation across desktop and iOS.
Free plan
-
Runner-up
Gearboy#2 of 239.3/10A broad, free emulator with strong save, link-cable and debugging features.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
BGB#3 of 239.2/10A free Windows emulator with hardware-accurate timing and unusually deep debugging tools.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 23 tools, best first
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Best forBroad, accurate emulation across desktop and iOS
Accurate, feature-rich Game Boy emulation across desktop and iOS.
9.4/10★★★★★Visit SameBoy -
Best forMaximum platform coverage and debugging tools
A broad, free emulator with strong save, link-cable and debugging features.
- Link cable emulation
- Controller support
- Save states
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Gearboy -
Best forWindows users prioritizing accuracy and debugging
A free Windows emulator with hardware-accurate timing and unusually deep debugging tools.
- Netplay
- Real-time clock
- Link cable emulation
9.2/10★★★★★Visit BGB -
Best forCross-platform play with advanced hardware features
A broad, open-source GB/GBC emulator with accessory support and rollback netplay.
- Netplay
- Real-time clock
- Link cable emulation
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Coffee GB -
Best forMulti-system emulation and multiplayer features
A free, cross-platform emulator with broad Game Boy support and multiplayer features.
- Netplay
- Real-time clock
- Link cable emulation
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit shonumi -
Best forUsers wanting broader Nintendo handheld support
A broad, free handheld emulator with strong display, debugging, and automation features.
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit SkyEmu -
Best forOpen-source GB/GBC emulation with debugging
A focused, free GB/GBC emulator for players and developers who want debugging depth.
- Real-time clock
- Controller support
- Save states
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit ChillyGB -
Best forCross-platform GB/GBC play with visual customization
A free, cross-platform GB/GBC emulator with strong visual and save-state controls.
- Real-time clock
- Controller support
- Save states
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit oxGBC -
Best forSimple cross-platform GB/GBC emulation
A free, open-source GB/GBC emulator with saves, shaders, turbo, and self-link emulation.
- Real-time clock
- Link cable emulation
- Controller support
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit GBCC -
Best forRetroArch users needing a free GB/GBC core
A focused free emulator with RetroArch support and useful debugging tools.
- Real-time clock
- Link cable emulation
- Save states
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit DocBoy -
Best forDevelopers and researchers using a Python API
A developer-focused GB/GBC emulator for scripts, bots, debugging, and research.
- Real-time clock
- Link cable emulation
- Save states
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit PyBoy -
Best forRetroArch and libretro-based setups
A focused GB/GBC emulator core for RetroArch and libretro-compatible frontends.
- Real-time clock
- Link cable emulation
- Controller support
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Gambatte -
Best forAndroid users wanting a focused paid emulator
A focused Android emulator with broad GB/GBC file, input, cheat, and save support.
- Controller support
- Save states
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit GBC.emu -
Best forAndroid users wanting polished link features
A feature-rich Android emulator with strong controls and serial-link support.
- Link cable emulation
- Controller support
- Save states
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Pizza Boy C -
Best forBrowser-based play on desktop or mobile
A free, open-source web emulator with flexible input and cloud ROM loading.
- Controller support
- Save states
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit VaporBoy -
Best forOpen-source browser and desktop experimentation
A flexible GB/GBC emulator with useful debugging and state-management tools.
- Save states
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit binjgb -
Best forFree Game Boy Color emulation with link support
A focused, free GBC emulator with saves, link support, cheats, and controller support.
- Real-time clock
- Link cable emulation
- Controller support
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit RetroGBm -
Best forBasic open-source desktop emulation
A focused desktop emulator with controller support, scaling, rumble, and Unix-like link emulation.
- Link cable emulation
- Controller support
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit SDL2-GNUBoy -
Best forDevelopers studying a compact Game Boy implementation
A compact, multi-mode Game Boy emulator for developers exploring emulator implementation.
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Gameboy -
Best forTechnical users preferring CLI or WebAssembly
A developer-focused emulator with CLI, WebAssembly, and experimental SDL2 frontends.
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit PHPBoy -
Best forMinimal desktop GB/GBC emulation
A focused desktop emulator for GB/GBC games with useful debugging controls.
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit GoBoy -
Best forSamsung TV and browser-based casual play
A focused free emulator for casual Game Boy play on Samsung TVs and browsers.
- Controller support
- Save states
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit GB-EMU -
Best forSelf-hosted ASP.NET Core microservices
A capable self-hosted API gateway, but not a Game Boy emulator.
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Ocelot
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Supported systems | Supported platforms | Save states | Link cable emulation | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SameBoy | Yes | Game Boy (DMG), Game Boy Pocket/Light (MGB), Game Boy Color (CGB), GBC-mode Game Boy Advance/Game Boy Player (AGB), Super Game Boy (SGB), Super Game Boy 2 (SGB2) | 9.4 | ||||
| 2 | Gearboy | Yes | Free | Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Super Game Boy | Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, RetroArch/libretro, iOS, Android, Raspberry Pi, tvOS, webOS, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo WiiU, Nintendo Switch, Emscripten, OpenDingux, RetroFW, QNX | Yes | Yes | 9.3 |
| 3 | BGB | Yes | Free | Game Boy; Game Boy Color; Super Game Boy | Windows; Wine on Linux and macOS | Yes | Yes | 9.2 |
| 4 | Coffee GB | Free | Game Boy (GB/DMG), Game Boy Color (GBC/CGB), Super Game Boy features | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Yes | Yes | 9.1 | |
| 5 | GB Enhanced+ | Yes | Free | DMG/Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Pokémon Mini, experimental Nintendo DS | Windows, Linux, macOS | Yes | Yes | 9.0 |
| 6 | SkyEmu | Yes | Free | 4 | 8.9 | |||
| 7 | ChillyGB | Yes | Free | Game Boy (DMG); Game Boy Color (CGB) | WebAssembly/browser; Windows; Linux; Nintendo Switch | Yes | No | 8.8 |
| 8 | oxGBC | Yes | Free | Game Boy; Game Boy Color | Windows; macOS; Linux; Android; WebAssembly/browser | Yes | 8.7 | |
| 9 | GBCC | Yes | Free | Game Boy; Game Boy Color | Linux; macOS; Windows; Android | Yes | Yes | 8.6 |
| 10 | DocBoy | Yes | Free | Game Boy (DMG), Game Boy Color (CGB) | Windows, Linux, Android | Yes | Yes | 8.5 |
| 11 | PyBoy | Yes | Free | Game Boy, Game Boy Color | Windows 64-bit, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi OS | Yes | Yes | 8.4 |
| 12 | Gambatte | Free | Game Boy, Game Boy Color | Windows, Linux/BSD/UNIX-like systems, macOS | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 13 | GBC.emu | No | Game Boy, Game Boy Color | Android | Yes | 8.2 | ||
| 14 | Pizza Boy C | Yes | Game Boy, Game Boy Color | Android | Yes | Yes | 8.1 | |
| 15 | VaporBoy | Yes | Free | Game Boy, Game Boy Color | Web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari | Yes | 8.0 | |
| 16 | binjgb | Free | Game Boy (GB); Game Boy Color (GBC); Super Game Boy (SGB) | Web browser; Windows; macOS; Linux | Yes | 7.9 | ||
| 17 | RetroGBm | Yes | Free | Game Boy Color | Windows, Android | Yes | Yes | 7.8 |
| 18 | SDL2-GNUBoy | Yes | Free | Game Boy, Game Boy Color | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | 7.7 | |
| 19 | Gameboy by raphamorim | Free | Game Boy | WebAssembly, desktop, terminal | 7.6 | |||
| 20 | PHPBoy | Free | Game Boy, Game Boy Color | CLI terminal, browser WebAssembly, SDL2 native desktop (work in progress) | 7.5 | |||
| 21 | GoBoy | Free | Nintendo Game Boy; Nintendo Game Boy Color | macOS; Windows; Linux | No | 7.4 | ||
| 22 | GB-EMU | Yes | Free | Game Boy (DMG), Game Boy Color (GBC) | Samsung Tizen TVs, desktop web browsers | Yes | 7.2 | |
| 23 | Ocelot | Free | 6.0 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- SameBoy vs Gearboy
- SameBoy vs BGB
- SameBoy vs Coffee GB
- SameBoy vs GB Enhanced+
- SameBoy vs SkyEmu
- SameBoy vs ChillyGB
- SameBoy vs oxGBC
- Gearboy vs BGB
- Gearboy vs Coffee GB
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How we rank game boy emulators
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update