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fixNES review

Free#11 of 26 in NES Emulators

A mapper-focused NES emulator with FDS, NSF, ZIP, and expansion-audio support.

8.2/10Editor score
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

fixNES is an open-source NES emulator for desktop users on Windows and Linux. It supports NTSC and PAL .nes ROMs, Famicom Disk System files in .fds and .qd formats, NSF music playback with track switching, and ZIP archive loading. The standalone application uses keyboard controls and includes pause and soft reset functions. It can also create battery-save files for compatible games, making it suitable for users who want a focused emulator with support for both standard NES software and several related formats.

Its strongest area is breadth within NES hardware and audio support. fixNES covers a broad range of cartridge mappers and emulates expansion audio for VRC6, VRC7, FDS, MMC5, N163 and Sunsoft 5B. Optional 4:3 aspect-ratio rendering provides an additional display setting, while an optional libretro core allows the project to fit into RetroArch. These features give fixNES a wider technical scope than a basic ROM launcher, particularly for users with mapper-heavy libraries, Famicom Disk System titles or NSF music files.

The main trade-off is project maturity. The project describes itself as not yet complete or clean, and the latest listed release is Alpha v1.3.1 for Windows. Linux users can compile the application, while Windows users have a listed build. Verified state, rewind and cheat features are absent, so users seeking those tools or a more feature-complete emulator should look elsewhere. Choose fixNES for open-source desktop emulation with broad mapper and expansion-audio coverage; avoid it if polish, advanced convenience features or a mature release track are priorities.

fixNES pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Supports a broad range of NES cartridge mappers
    • Emulates VRC6, VRC7, FDS, MMC5, N163 and Sunsoft 5B audio
    • Handles FDS, NSF, ZIP archives and battery-save files
  • Where it doesn't
    • The project describes itself as not yet complete or clean
    • The latest listed release is an Alpha Windows build
    • No verified state, rewind or cheat features

fixNES fact sheet, pricing and score →

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