Lin Wu's Challenge gameplay on Atari ST. Representative game image from the Retro Replay media library; it is not a capture from this emulator.

Hatari

ATARI ST, STE, TT AND FALCON EMULATOR

Hatari

Hatari is an open-source emulator for the Atari ST family: ST, STe, TT and Falcon. It runs on POSIX-like systems and other platforms supported by SDL, and can also be used as a libretro core.

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Lin Wu's Challenge gameplay on Atari ST. Representative game image from the Retro Replay media library; it is not a capture from this emulator.

Atari ST, STE, TT and FalconPRIMARY SYSTEM

History documentedPROJECT BEGAN

Open sourcePROJECT MODEL

WHY IT MATTERS

What Hatari does

Emulates the Atari ST line (including enhanced STe models and the 32-bit TT and Falcon machines) and many of their peripherals (floppy/hard disks, joysticks, mouse, MIDI, serial, printer). It is intended for running original Atari software under an emulated environment and for development/debugging of Atari programs.

BEST FOR

Best uses

Running and testing Atari ST/STE/TT/Falcon software, running demos and games that target those systems, and using as a development/debugging emulator. It is also available as a libretro core for frontends that use retroarch/libretro.

The people behind Hatari

History and status

Hatari is a long-running community-driven project with public source repositories and an official website. The project has matured to support the ST family plus TT and Falcon hardware features and many peripherals. It is actively maintained in official repositories and has been packaged for major OSes. Hatari is distributed with or recommends using an EmuTOS image for many setups; it does not include commercial TOS/BIOS images. A libretro port exists for use as a core in retroarch-style frontends.

What Hatari supports

Linux (POSIX)
Windows
macOS
FreeBSD / *BSD
Other SDL-supported platforms
Libretro / RetroArch core builds available

Download and availability

OFFICIAL DOWNLOADS

Get Hatari

Official downloads and release notes are provided from the Hatari website and the project's release pages. Prebuilt binaries are available for some platforms; source builds are provided and commonly used. Hatari distributions may include a copy of EmuTOS for convenience; they do not include commercial Atari TOS images.

Get Hatari ↗

DOCUMENTATION

Official documentation

Read the official configuration, compatibility, and troubleshooting material before changing advanced options.

Read official documentation ↗

Broken or missing download? Emulator projects move and official links sometimes change. Please contact Retro Replay so the source can be verified and updated.

Hatari setup guide

Setup note: This setup guide covers obtaining Hatari, choosing a TOS solution, building or installing binaries, configuring storage and controller input, and practical tips for running Atari software. Where possible use official releases or the project's source repository.

1) Verify official project pages and releases: Use the official Hatari website (hatari-emu.org) and the project's source repository (the Hatari GitHub mirror and official source links provided there) for downloads and release notes. The website's download page points to the official releases and notes whether EmuTOS is bundled with released binaries.
2) Decide on TOS: EmuTOS vs original TOS: Hatari requires a TOS (Atari OS) image for many configurations. EmuTOS is a free/open replacement often distributed with Hatari releases and recommended for general compatibility; original commercial TOS ROMs are not included and must be supplied by the user if desired. Confirm which TOS image version is appropriate for the machine type you will emulate (ST, STe, TT, Falcon).
3) Install prebuilt packages or build from source: On many Linux distributions Hatari is available as a package. For the latest features or platforms, download the official source or release and build with CMake. The project uses SDL for cross-platform support; ensure development packages for SDL are installed before compiling. Follow the official build instructions from the project's documentation or repository.
4) Configure disk images and file systems: Hatari supports floppy images and hard-disk image files (raw images). Create or obtain disk images and attach them using Hatari's GUI or configuration files. For software distributed as disk images or folders, use the appropriate image format and set the correct machine type and amount of RAM in Hatari's configuration to match the software expectations.
5) Input, joysticks and MIDI: Map host keyboard, mouse and gamepads through Hatari's input configuration. If you intend to use MIDI or serial devices, configure Hatari to expose those host devices to the guest; consult the project's documentation for device mapping details.
6) Performance and machine selection: Hatari supports emulating different CPU types and machine models (ST/STe/TT/Falcon). Emulation cost increases with more advanced models (e.g., Falcon). The documentation notes recommended host performance levels for smooth emulation; ensure your host hardware meets or exceeds those recommendations for target machine selection.
7) Using Hatari as a Libretro core: A libretro/libretro-core variant of Hatari exists for use with frontends like RetroArch. If using that approach, obtain the libretro build and follow RetroArch's instructions for configuring BIOS/TOS paths and core options; core packaging and options differ from native Hatari builds.
8) Save states, debugging and compatibility: Hatari provides features for debugging and save states. When running commercial software, remember that Hatari does not include proprietary BIOS/TOS files; use EmuTOS where acceptable or supply licensed ROMs as needed. Refer to the project's compatibility list for known working or problematic titles.

Software reminder: Hatari does not include commercial Atari TOS/BIOS images. Use EmuTOS (often bundled with releases) or supply legally obtained TOS images yourself. Follow software licensing for any games or firmware you run.