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PUAE review

Free#10 of 22 in Amiga Emulators

A configurable Amiga emulator with broad chipset, disk-image, memory, and display support.

7.3/10Editor score
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

PUAE is an open-source Amiga emulator derived from E-UAE and related UAE projects. It is aimed at users who want configurable emulation across Linux, macOS, Windows, and other Unix-like systems. Its model coverage includes OCS, ECS Agnus, full ECS, AGA, CDTV, and CD32 systems. PUAE emulates 68000-family processors, Amiga chipsets, memory, floppy drives, hardfiles, and selected CD-based systems, while allowing users to configure Chip, Slow, Fast, and Zorro III memory.

Its strongest area is hardware and storage configuration. PUAE supports up to four emulated floppy drives and accepts ADF, DMS, FDI, IPF, gzip-compressed, and ZIP disk images. Hardfile and RDB hard-disk emulation extend the setup beyond floppy-based software. Optional JIT compilation is available for the emulated 68000-family CPUs, while SDL graphics output and optional OpenGL display output provide two rendering paths. Optional emulated BSD socket networking adds another configurable system feature for users who need it.

PUAE suits technically oriented users who value control over Amiga models, memory layouts, disk images, display output, and optional networking. Its open-source model and multi-platform scope make it a fit for Unix-style environments, with Windows builds possible through Cygwin or MinGW. The main practical consideration is that Kickstart ROM images are generally loaded separately, with documentation also describing limited built-in ROM emulation. Users seeking a tightly packaged emulator with bundled system ROMs or a current-release-focused documentation experience should consider an alternative. PUAE is a stronger choice for configurable emulation than for a guided, minimal setup.

PUAE pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Emulates OCS, ECS, AGA, CDTV, and CD32 systems
    • Supports optional JIT compilation and configurable memory types
    • Handles multiple floppy-image formats, hardfiles, and RDB disks
  • Where it doesn't
    • Kickstart ROM images are supplied separately
    • Windows builds require Cygwin or MinGW
    • Documentation describes the older E-UAE codebase

PUAE fact sheet, pricing and score →

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