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On September 20th, 2025, a brand-new version of BizHawk was released, marking another big milestone for one of the most popular multi-system emulators in the emulation and tool-assisted speedrun (TAS) community. Version 2.11 brings in an impressive lineup of new cores, bug fixes, system updates, and user experience improvements. If you are a retro gaming enthusiast, a speedrunner, or simply someone who wants a reliable all-in-one emulator for dozens of platforms, this release is worth your attention.
(We try not to post emulator news in our main blog, but Bizhawk is special)
Official downloads are already available for both Windows and Linux. You can grab them here:
For the full changelog history, the BizHawk release page at TASVideos is the go-to resource.
New Cores: Expanding the Horizons of BizHawk
One of the biggest highlights of BizHawk 2.11 is the inclusion of several new cores that open the door to even more systems.
DSDA-Doom was added, bringing full support for Doom, Heretic, and Hexen. There is a caveat though—analog weapon selection is currently broken and will not function properly until version 2.11.1. Still, Doom fans have plenty to celebrate.
DOSBox-X integration is another standout feature. This means support for DOS games and even some early Windows titles, effectively making BizHawk a home for classic PC gaming alongside its already impressive console library.
Fans of the 3DO will be excited about the addition of the Opera core, which further strengthens BizHawk’s reputation as a true all-in-one emulator. In addition, Atari lovers will find the Atari2600Hawk core included, with improved 6502 CPU accuracy fixes that also benefit the Commodore 64 and Atari 7800 emulation.
By steadily expanding into more obscure or niche systems, BizHawk continues to cement its position as one of the most comprehensive emulation suites available.
Core Updates and Fixes Across Multiple Systems
The new release also pushes forward improvements across existing cores.
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BSNES received an upstream update, fixing SNES mouse sync issues and improving memory callback handling.
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C64Hawk got a facelift with disk drive emulation updates and compatibility with Lorenz C64 tests.
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Encore, the Nintendo 3DS core, now uses UTC for its RTC handling and has better handling of Update/DLC CIAs. Savestate reliability was also improved.
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Faust, a SNES core, fixed a crash related to Earthbound input recording.
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Genplus-GX saw several Sega CD game fixes, including titles like After Armageddon Gaiden, XJ220, and Demons of Asteborg. This core also gained speedrun-critical glitch handling for Spider-Man.
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melonDS now supports JIT, partial DSi SD card handling, and better savestate management. Multiple crash bugs and save issues were also addressed.
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Mupen64Plus fixed Pokemon Snap and Paper Mario boot issues that plagued BizHawk 2.10.
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NesHawk corrected CPU behaviors, open bus handling, and graphical glitches.
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QuickNES was heavily patched to resolve multiple crashes, graphical bugs, and mapper issues, including problems with Super Mario All-Stars NES.
These are just a fraction of the dozens of fixes spread across virtually every major system supported by BizHawk.
Improvements to the Emulator Frontend
Beyond system cores, BizHawk’s own frontend, EmuHawk, received a laundry list of improvements and bug fixes. Some of the most notable include:
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Support for relative mouse input, making mouse-driven games smoother.
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A new Stay on Top hotkey option.
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Stability improvements for older Intel GPUs that previously caused startup crashes.
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Updates to hotkey management, font scaling, and window management.
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Performance enhancements to OpenAL audio handling.
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A more flexible savestate and movie handling system, with bug fixes for crashes during rewinds, recordings, and movie imports.
For users who rely on BizHawk for TAS work, these frontend updates make the entire experience feel more polished and reliable.
TAStudio and Lua Improvements
For the TAS community, TAStudio continues to evolve. Version 2.11 introduces fixes to undo/redo functions, marker handling, hotkey management, and project stability. Export options, scroll improvements, and configurable rewind frames all make TAS editing smoother.
The Lua console also received love, fixing multiple crash bugs and adding new scripting functions. Lua memory handling and comm libraries have been refined, making BizHawk scripting even more powerful for automation and testing.
Other Key Fixes and Enhancements
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RetroAchievements crashes when offline have been resolved.
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MAME integration was improved, fixing load errors and adding better view sorting.
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Stella for Atari 2600 gained proper Select switch support and improved black-and-white toggles.
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Snes9x corrected Star Fox sound cracking and fixed core bugs in Brawl Brothers.
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UAE (Amiga core) added PAL overscan options and performance tweaks.
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DiscoHawk now writes CHD files much faster.
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RAM Search avoids resetting results unnecessarily when changing value sizes.
These small but crucial refinements all add up to make BizHawk more stable and reliable across its wide platform range.
Download and Explore BizHawk 2.11
BizHawk remains one of the most important emulators for both casual retro gamers and serious speedrunners. With the release of 2.11, the emulator not only expands into more territory with new cores like DSDA-Doom, DOSBox-X, and Opera, but also ensures stronger compatibility, fewer crashes, and better usability across the board.
If you want to dive in today, you can download BizHawk 2.11 directly from GitHub:
And to follow future updates or revisit past versions, bookmark the BizHawk Release History on TASVideos.
For anyone who has been waiting for fixes from 2.10 or looking to test new system cores, now is the time to update. Just remember, if you plan on using analog weapon selection in Doom, you may want to wait for 2.11.1.
