# libraries/gameboy

Full featured Cross-platform GameBoy emulator by Rust. Forever boys!.

Repository: https://github.com/libraries/gameboy
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/gameboy
Language: Rust
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: gameboy, emulator, rust
Last push: 2026-05-15T09:44:45+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 75/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 82, release rhythm 52, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2694, "days_push": 110, "days_rel": 110, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 1}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1426, forks 87 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:41.584697+00:00)

## What it is
A full-featured, cross-platform GameBoy emulator written in Rust that runs GameBoy and GameBoy Color ROMs with video scaling, speed control, and optional audio. It is cycles-based and passes Blargg's and Mooneye hardware test suites, with a modular design that lets developers swap in custom UIs.

## Use cases
- play gameboy roms on my computer
- emulate gameboy color games on linux
- run pokemon crystal on an emulator
- accurate gameboy emulator that passes blargg tests
- build a custom frontend for a gameboy emulator
- learn how a gameboy emulator works in rust

## When to choose
- you want a cycle-accurate GameBoy/GameBoy Color emulator with high hardware-test compatibility
- you want a lightweight emulator runnable from the CLI on Windows, Linux, or macOS
- you want to build your own UI (terminal, web) on top of a modular emulator core
- you prefer open-source Rust software with an MIT license

## When to avoid
- you need emulation of other consoles (GBA, DS, etc.)
- you want a polished graphical launcher with save states, shaders, or netplay out of the box
- you need built-in audio enabled by default or advanced controller remapping
- you cannot install native dependencies for cpal and minifb on your system

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: simulation, gui, cli
- domain: gaming-tools, simulation, cross-platform
- platform: windows, rust, cli
- tags: gameboy-emulator, retro-gaming, emulation, cycles-accurate, rust, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- libraries/gameboy (main) score 75

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:41.584697+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:37:27.436869+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/libraries/gameboy (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:41.584697+00:00, sha c1976188b022)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.