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Head-to-head · NES Emulators

FCEUX vs Nintengo

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score FCEUX #5 in NES Emulators 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit FCEUX
Nintengo #7 in NES Emulators 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Nintengo

FCEUX leads on 0 checks, Nintengo on 1, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreFCEUX · 8.9/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresNintengo · 2 of 5

FCEUX scores higher on our rubric for nes emulators: 8.9 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #7.

Nintengo offers netplay; FCEUX doesn't.

FCEUX is the better fit for TAS creators and emulator researchers. Nintengo is the better fit for cross-platform users who want netplay.

  • FCEUX fits best

    TAS creators and emulator researchers

  • Nintengo fits best

    Cross-platform users who want netplay

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Side by side

Feature FCEUX 8.9/10 Visit ↗ Nintengo 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.6
Ranking #5 in NES Emulators #7 in NES Emulators
Best for TAS creators and emulator researchers Cross-platform users who want netplay
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features FCEUX 0/5 · Nintengo 2/5
Save states Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Rewind Not checked yet Not checked yet
Netplay — ✓ (best)
Shader support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Cheat support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms Not checked yet macOS, Linux, Windows, WebAssembly/browser
Our review
Pros
  • Supports NES, Famicom, Dendy and Famicom Disk System software
  • Includes debugging, Lua scripting and a dedicated TAS Editor
  • Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with graphics scaling options
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and browsers
  • Supports save states, battery-backed saves, and two-player netplay
  • Includes NTSC/PAL modes plus screenshot, GIF, JPEG, and WAV recording
Cons
  • Network play is not presently functional
  • Focuses on NES-family systems rather than broader console emulation
  • Its advanced tooling may exceed the needs of casual players
  • Focused on NES emulation rather than broader console support
  • Netplay is limited to two players
  • Browser support depends on the documented WebAssembly build
Our verdict

FCEUX is a free, open-source desktop emulator for NES, Famicom, Dendy and Famicom Disk System software. It serves general players, ROM hackers, emulator researchers and the tool-assisted speedrun community. Official builds cover Windows…

Read the review →

Nintengo is an open-source Nintendo Entertainment System emulator written in Go. It is aimed at users who want to run NES ROM files across Windows, macOS, Linux, or a browser. The emulator supports standard .nes files as well as .nes files…

Read the review →
  1. FCEUXNES Emulators 8.9Free plan
  2. NintengoNES Emulators 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • FCEUX — where it wins

    • Supports NES, Famicom, Dendy and Famicom Disk System software
    • Includes debugging, Lua scripting and a dedicated TAS Editor
    • Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with graphics scaling options

    Where it doesn't

    • Network play is not presently functional
    • Focuses on NES-family systems rather than broader console emulation
    • Its advanced tooling may exceed the needs of casual players

  • Nintengo — where it wins

    • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and browsers
    • Supports save states, battery-backed saves, and two-player netplay
    • Includes NTSC/PAL modes plus screenshot, GIF, JPEG, and WAV recording

    Where it doesn't

    • Focused on NES emulation rather than broader console support
    • Netplay is limited to two players
    • Browser support depends on the documented WebAssembly build
  • FCEUX8.9/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source choice for NES emulation, debugging and tool-assisted speedruns.

    Visit FCEUXFull verdict →
  • Nintengo8.6/10 · Free plan

    A free, cross-platform NES emulator with browser support, saves, and two-player netplay.

    Visit NintengoFull verdict →

More comparisons

All NES emulators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update