Emulators for Mac: which run on Apple Silicon
21 major console emulators have a Mac version, and 13 of them run natively on Apple Silicon. 4 more have Intel-only Mac builds that run through Rosetta 2. Below is each one's Mac support, checked against its own site and releases on October 19, 2026, with setup guides for the most popular. Emulators are legal; the BIOS files, firmware and games they run have to come from consoles and games you own.
Which emulator for which console
| Console | Emulator | On a Mac |
|---|---|---|
| GameCube and Wii | Dolphin | Native |
| PlayStation | DuckStation | Native |
| PlayStation 2 | PCSX2 | Rosetta 2 |
| PlayStation 3 | RPCS3 | Native |
| PSP | PPSSPP | Mac version |
| PS Vita | Vita3K | Native |
| PlayStation 4 | shadPS4 | Rosetta 2, experimental |
| Nintendo DS | melonDS | Native |
| Nintendo 3DS | Azahar | Native |
| Game Boy Advance | mGBA | Mac version |
| Wii U | Cemu | Rosetta 2, experimental on Mac |
| Nintendo Switch | Ryujinx (Ryubing) | Native (Apple Silicon only) |
| Original Xbox | xemu | Native |
| Dreamcast | Flycast | Native |
| MS-DOS | DOSBox Staging | Native |
| Classic adventure games | ScummVM | Native |
| Lots of retro systems in one app | RetroArch | Native |
| Xbox 360 | None | Xenia has no Mac version |
Every emulator with a Mac version (21)
RPCS3
PlayStation 3
Native: Apple Silicon + Intel
Separate native builds for Apple Silicon and Intel. Current builds are set to need macOS 15. Not notarized, so macOS warns the first time you open it.
You need: The official PS3 system software (PS3UPDAT.PUP from Sony), and games dumped from discs or digital copies you own. Latest: 0.0.43, Oct 19, 2026.
OpenEmu
Many systems
Rosetta 2 on Apple SiliconUpdates have slowed
The Mac-only favourite with a game-library look. Its latest release (2.4.1, December 2023) is Intel-only, so it runs through Rosetta 2 on Apple Silicon, and updates have slowed.
You need: Your own game dumps; some systems (PS1, Sega CD, Saturn and others) need BIOS files from your own hardware. Latest: 2.4.1, Dec 30, 2023.
PCSX2
PlayStation 2
Rosetta 2 on Apple Silicon
The Mac build is Intel-only, so on Apple Silicon it runs through Rosetta 2. PCSX2 recommends macOS 14 or 15 for demanding games.
You need: A PS2 BIOS dumped from your own console, and your own game dumps. Latest: 2.8.2, Sep 4, 2026.
Dolphin
GameCube & Wii
Native: Apple Silicon + Intel
One app for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Dolphin recommends its Metal renderer on macOS.
You need: Your own GameCube or Wii game dumps. No BIOS needed. Latest: 2609a, Oct 8, 2026.
PPSSPP
PSP
Mac version
PPSSPP offers a Mac .dmg, free or as the paid Gold version, but doesn't say which chips it is built for.
You need: Your own PSP game dumps (ISO or CSO). No BIOS needed. Latest: 1.20.4, May 16, 2026.
RetroArch
Many systems
Native: Apple Silicon + Intel
One app for Apple Silicon and Intel, running dozens of emulator "cores". RetroArch recommends the Vulkan or glcore video drivers on Mac; its Metal driver is experimental.
You need: Your own game dumps; some cores also need BIOS files from your own hardware (PS1, for example). Latest: 1.22.2, Nov 20, 2025.
DuckStation
PlayStation
Native: Apple Silicon + Intel
One app for Apple Silicon and Intel. Not signed: its developer says a signing certificate costs too much, so macOS warns on first launch. Since 2024 its licence (CC BY-NC-ND) rules out commercial use and modified versions; it is still free to download.
You need: A PS1 BIOS dumped from your own console, and your own game dumps. Latest: rolling release, Oct 13, 2026.
Azahar
Nintendo 3DS
Native: Apple Silicon + Intel
The successor to Citra, which shut down in 2024. Universal and separate Apple Silicon and Intel builds. Not notarized, so macOS warns on first launch.
You need: 3DS games decrypted with your own 3DS. System files are optional, also from your own 3DS. Latest: 2126.2, Oct 8, 2026.
shadPS4
PlayStation 4
Rosetta 2 on Apple Silicon
Experimental. Needs macOS 26 and an Apple Silicon Mac: it runs through Rosetta 2, and Intel Macs are not supported.
You need: Firmware modules dumped from your own PS4, and your own game dumps. Latest: v0.20.0, Oct 14, 2026.
Cemu
Wii U
Rosetta 2 on Apple Silicon
Cemu calls its Mac build "purely experimental". The current release (2.6) is Intel-only, so Apple Silicon runs it through Rosetta 2, and Cemu says performance suffers. A native Metal renderer is in development.
You need: Your own Wii U game dumps, with their keys. Latest: 2.6, Feb 6, 2025.
mGBA
Game Boy Advance
Mac version
Mac .dmg for macOS 10.13 and later; the chips it is built for are not stated.
You need: Your own game dumps. A BIOS is built in. Latest: 0.10.5, Mar 8, 2025.
Vita3K
PS Vita
Native: Apple Silicon + Intel
Experimental, with nightly builds only. Separate Apple Silicon and Intel downloads.
You need: The PS Vita system software and font package, and games you dumped yourself. Latest: build 4206 (nightly), Oct 19, 2026.
melonDS
Nintendo DS
Native: Apple Silicon + IntelUpdates have slowed
Universal build. Not notarized, so macOS warns on first launch.
You need: Your own DS game dumps. Firmware is only needed to boot to the DS menu. Latest: 1.1, Nov 18, 2025.
xemu
Original Xbox
Native: Apple Silicon + Intel
Universal build, also on Homebrew.
You need: The MCPX boot ROM, BIOS and a hard disk image, all dumped from your own Xbox, and your own game dumps. Latest: v0.8.137, Oct 16, 2026.
ScummVM
Classic adventure games
Native: Apple Silicon + Intel
Not strictly an emulator: it replaces the engines of LucasArts, Sierra and many other adventure games. One app for Apple Silicon and Intel.
You need: The data files from your own copies of the games. Latest: 2026.4.0, Oct 10, 2026.
Flycast
Dreamcast & Naomi
Native: Apple Silicon + Intel
Runs on Apple Silicon and Intel. Its Homebrew install handles the first-launch warning for you.
You need: Your own game dumps. The Dreamcast BIOS is optional; Naomi and Atomiswave arcade games need their BIOS files from your own hardware. Latest: v2.7, Aug 19, 2026.
SameBoy
Game Boy & Color
Mac version
A native Mac app built with Apple's own frameworks.
You need: Your own game dumps. Boot ROMs are included. Latest: 1.0.4, Oct 9, 2026.
ares
Many systems
Native: Apple Silicon + Intel
Universal app covering N64, SNES, Mega Drive, PC Engine and many more.
You need: Your own game dumps; some systems need BIOS files from your own hardware. Latest: v148, May 30, 2026.
DOSBox Staging
MS-DOS
Native: Apple Silicon + Intel
Universal app; recent releases open without the first-launch warning.
You need: Your own DOS game files. Latest: 0.83.0, Aug 26, 2026.
Eden
Nintendo Switch
Mac version
Has an experimental Mac build. Eden itself warns to expect major graphical glitches and crashes.
You need: Not stated by the project. Latest: v0.2.1, Jun 1, 2026.
Ryujinx (Ryubing)
Nintendo Switch
Native: Apple Silicon
The community continuation of Ryujinx, which its creator abandoned in October 2024. It says only Apple Silicon Macs are properly supported, with good playability in many games.
You need: Keys and firmware dumped from your own Switch, and your own game dumps.
Emulators vs decompiled ports
An emulator pretends to be the console, so it can run almost any game for that system, but it needs your Mac to do a lot of work and sometimes needs the console's BIOS. A decompiled or recompiled port rebuilds one game as a native Mac app, which usually runs better and adds widescreen and higher frame rates, but only exists for a few dozen games. If the game you want has a port, try that first: see which do.
No Mac version, or shut down
| Emulator | Console | Status |
|---|---|---|
| MAME | Arcade | Actively developed, but the official downloads are Windows only. Mac users build it from source or use unofficial builds, which aren't signed. |
| Xenia | Xbox 360 | No Mac version. Xenia says macOS isn't supported because it needs a Metal or MoltenVK renderer it doesn't have yet. |
| yuzu | Nintendo Switch | Shut down in March 2024 after Nintendo's lawsuit, and never had an official Mac version. |
| Citra | Nintendo 3DS | Shut down in March 2024 alongside yuzu. Azahar continues it, with Mac builds. |
| Ryujinx (original) | Nintendo Switch | Discontinued in October 2024. The Ryubing community fork continues it. |
Checked October 19, 2026 against each project's official site, repository and release files. Where a project doesn't state something (which chips a build is for, or whether it is signed by Apple), we leave it out rather than guess.
Common questions
Are emulators legal?
Emulators themselves are legal, and these are open-source projects. What they run is the copyrighted part: BIOS files, firmware and games. Every project here says to dump those from a console and games you own. Downloading them from the internet is piracy in most countries.
Which emulators run natively on Apple Silicon?
13 of the emulators here have a native Apple Silicon build, including Dolphin, RPCS3, DuckStation, RetroArch and Azahar. 4 have Intel-only Mac builds that run through Rosetta 2, among them PCSX2 and OpenEmu.
What is the best PS2 emulator for Mac?
PCSX2. Its Mac build is Intel-only, so Apple Silicon Macs run it through Rosetta 2, and it needs a PS2 BIOS dumped from your own console. PCSX2 recommends macOS 14 or 15 for demanding games.
Is there a Switch emulator for Mac?
Yes. Ryujinx, continued by the Ryubing community after its creator stopped in October 2024, has a Mac version and says only Apple Silicon Macs are properly supported. yuzu shut down in March 2024 and never had an official Mac version. You need keys and firmware from your own Switch.
Is there an Xbox 360 emulator for Mac?
No. Xenia, the main Xbox 360 emulator, has no Mac version: it says macOS needs a Metal or MoltenVK renderer it does not have yet.
OpenEmu or RetroArch?
OpenEmu is the friendlier Mac app, with a game library you browse like Photos, but its latest release is from December 2023 and Intel-only. RetroArch is harder to set up, runs natively on Apple Silicon and covers more systems.
Why does macOS say an emulator can't be opened?
Several of these apps are not notarized by Apple, so macOS blocks them the first time. Control-click the app and choose Open, or go to System Settings, then Privacy & Security, and click Open Anyway. Only do this for an app you downloaded from the project's own site.