Flycast vs MAME

Flycast9.4Visit MAME6.2Visit

Higher score Flycast #1 in Dreamcast Emulators 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Flycast

vs

MAME #7 in Dreamcast Emulators 6.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit MAME

• Flycast fits best

  Broad Dreamcast and arcade emulation

• MAME fits best

  Arcade-focused users needing broad hardware emulation

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Side by side

Feature	Flycast 9.4/10 Visit ↗	MAME 6.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	6.2
Ranking	#1 in Dreamcast Emulators	#7 in Dreamcast Emulators
Best for	Broad Dreamcast and arcade emulation	Arcade-focused users needing broad hardware emulation
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Features Flycast 3/4 · MAME 1/4
Controller support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Save states	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Online multiplayer	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Dreamcast BIOS required	—	✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android	Not checked yet
Graphics backends	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports Dreamcast, Naomi, Naomi 2, Atomiswave, and System SP Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android Includes save states, networked play, and OpenGL and Vulkan rendering	Free and open source across Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android Emulates arcade machines, consoles, computers, and other vintage hardware Supports network-linked play, CHD files, and HLSL or GLSL effects
Cons	Games are not included Users must provide legally obtained game files No AI features	Requires external ROM, BIOS, and other system data Its broad scope is not focused specifically on Dreamcast emulation Network-linked play is limited to supported systems
Our verdict	Flycast is a free, open-source emulator from Flyinghead for Sega Dreamcast, Naomi, Naomi 2, Atomiswave, and System SP software. It is intended for users who want one application covering Dreamcast and several related arcade platforms, with… Read the review →	MAME is a free, open-source emulation framework for preserving and documenting vintage electronic hardware. Its scope includes arcade machines, computers, video game consoles, chess computers, calculators, and other systems. It is suited… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Flycast — where it wins

  • Supports Dreamcast, Naomi, Naomi 2, Atomiswave, and System SP
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
  • Includes save states, networked play, and OpenGL and Vulkan rendering

  Where it doesn't

  • Games are not included
  • Users must provide legally obtained game files
  • No AI features

• MAME — where it wins

  • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
  • Emulates arcade machines, consoles, computers, and other vintage hardware
  • Supports network-linked play, CHD files, and HLSL or GLSL effects

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires external ROM, BIOS, and other system data
  • Its broad scope is not focused specifically on Dreamcast emulation
  • Network-linked play is limited to supported systems

• Flycast9.4/10 · Free plan

  A broad, free emulator for Dreamcast and four related arcade platforms.

  Visit FlycastFull verdict →
• MAME6.2/10 · Free plan

  A broad, free emulator for arcade hardware and vintage systems across four platforms.

  Visit MAMEFull verdict →