Screenshot published in the oxgbc project's official README. Image source: oxgbc project on GitHub.

oxgbc

GAME BOY EMULATOR

oxgbc

oxGBC (oxgbc) is an open-source Game Boy / Game Boy Color emulator written in Rust. It provides a single portable emulation core and ready builds for desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux x86-64 and ARM), Android, WebAssembly (browser), and ports for some Linux retro handhelds.

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Screenshot published in the oxgbc project's official README. Image source: oxgbc project on GitHub.

Game BoyPRIMARY SYSTEM

History documentedPROJECT BEGAN

Open sourcePROJECT MODEL

WHY IT MATTERS

Why this project matters

oxGBC aims for high accuracy (sub-instruction CPU timing and dot-level PPU emulation) while offering modern usability features (save states, rewind, shaders, configurable controls) and multi-platform delivery including a WASM build that runs in the browser.

BEST FOR

Best for

Users who want a Rust-based, actively developed Game Boy / GBC emulator with modern UI features, cross-platform builds (including browser and Android), and a focus on validation against community test suites.

Gameplay from Tetris on Game Boy.

The people behind oxgbc

History & status

The project is developed publicly on GitHub and is actively maintained. The repository shows continuous development, a large commit history, automated CI validation against known Game Boy test suites (Blargg, Mooneye, SameSuite, DMG/CGB acid tests, Magen), and published binary releases. The author provides builds for desktop platforms, Android, and a WASM (browser) demo. Issues and a changelog are present in the repository. Exact origin year is documented in the repository history rather than asserted here.

What oxgbc supports

Game Boy (DMG-01) emulation (LR35902)
Game Boy Color (CGB) emulation
Cartridge hardware: MBC0, MBC1, MBC1M, MBC2, MBC3 (with RTC), MBC5
Battery-backed SRAM (persistent saves)
Real-Time Clock (MBC3)
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (x86-64 and ARM), Android, WebAssembly (browser), port for Linux handhelds (PortMaster)

Download and availability

OFFICIAL DOWNLOADS

Get oxgbc

Official binary builds and source are published on the project's GitHub releases page. Prebuilt desktop and Android packages are available; a browser (WASM) demo is published on the project's GitHub Pages site. For handheld-specific packaging the repository provides a PortMaster zip intended for Linux handhelds.

Get oxgbc ↗

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.

oxgbc setup guide

Setup note: This setup guide covers using official builds, running the browser demo, and building from source. It focuses on verified, repository-documented steps and platform-specific notes (macOS Gatekeeper, SDL2 requirements, and PortMaster packaging). It does not include or reference any commercial ROMs, firmware, or BIOS files.

Get official builds or run in browser: Visit the project's Releases page to download platform builds (Windows, macOS, Linux x86-64/ARM, Android). Alternatively, try the WASM demo hosted on the project's GitHub Pages site to run oxGBC in a browser without installing anything.
macOS first-launch note: macOS builds are ad-hoc signed. On first launch Gatekeeper may block the app. For macOS 15+ use System Settings → Privacy & Security to open anyway; for earlier macOS versions right-click the app → Open → Open. As an alternative, clear the quarantine attribute from a terminal: xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/oxGBC.app (documented in the repository).
Retro handheld PortMaster packaging: The repository provides an oxgbc-portmaster.zip intended for PortMaster on Linux handhelds. The documented procedure: unzip the port into ports/ on the SD card so oxGBC appears in the Ports menu; the port shelves your game folders on first launch and keeps saves/settings in ports/oxgbc. The repo also documents a make target 'make portmaster' to build the same zip locally.
Building from source (overview): You need Rust toolchain installed (rustup). The desktop build requires SDL2 development libraries. The README lists platform-specific package names (example: sudo apt install libsdl2-dev on Debian/Ubuntu; brew install sdl2 on macOS). Windows users without system SDL2 can build with a bundled SDL2 feature: cargo build –release -p desktop –features sdl2-bundled. Follow the repository BUILD and README instructions for additional platform flags and targets (desktop, android, wasm, portmaster).
Running and using the emulator: Start the downloaded build or the built binary, use the in-app File Browser or ROM library scanning feature to open .gb/.gbc files. Configure input bindings and display settings via the GUI or by editing config.json. The emulator supports save states, automatic saves, rewind, shader effects, palettes, and a tile viewer/debugging features in certain builds.
Save files, RTC and cartridge behavior: The emulator implements battery-backed SRAM and MBC3 RTC support. Save files and RTC data are stored by the emulator; consult the repository README for exact save file locations and formats used by each platform. The repository explicitly notes it does not bundle commercial ROMs or firmware.
Troubleshooting & CI-validated correctness: The project runs community test suites in CI (Blargg, Mooneye, SameSuite, DMG/CGB acid tests, Magen) and documents this validation in the README. If you encounter rendering or audio issues, check the project's issue tracker, ensure SDL2 and required runtime dependencies are installed for your platform, and try a different renderer/shader as described in settings.

Software reminder: Do not use or distribute commercial ROM images or BIOS files you do not own. The project provides an emulator core and binaries only; users must supply their own legally obtained game ROMs.