Systems /

Amstrad CPC emulators

Amstrad's all-in-one home computer sold with its own monitor and a built-in tape or disk drive. Popular in the UK, France and Spain, with a demoscene that is still active.

Manufacturer: Amstrad
Released: 1984
Generation: 8-bit
CPU: Zilog Z80A @ 4 MHz
Models: CPC464, CPC664, CPC6128, 464 Plus, 6128 Plus
More: Wikipedia

Amstrad CPC — Photo: Bill Bertram · CC BY-SA 2.5 · source

6 emulators

Caprice32

Active

CPC
Open source

A cross-platform Amstrad CPC emulator, originally from 1997 and now maintained on GitHub, with mostly complete CPC Plus support, a debugger and a built-in memory tool.

Accuracy: High
License: Open source

Clock Signal

Active

Archimedes
BBC Micro
CPC
Atari ST
Amiga
VIC-20
DOS
MSX
Spectrum
Open source

A multi-machine emulator that aims to be invisible: open a disk or tape image and it picks the machine. The CPC, Spectrum and Atari ST are mature; Amiga and early PC support is less complete.

Accuracy: High
License: Open source

MAME

Active

BBC Micro
CPC
Arcade
C64
VIC-20
DOS
MSX
NES
Game Boy
GBA
GBC
Mega Drive
MZ-700
Spectrum
PlayStation
SNES
Tiki 100
Open source

The Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, a long-running project to document and preserve arcade hardware that covers thousands of boards and, since absorbing MESS, many computers and consoles as well.

License: Open source
Since: 1997

A polished emulator for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC (including the Plus range and GX4000), MSX-1, ColecoVision, SG-1000 and Master System, with a modern interface and display effects. Version 2.0, still offered for developers, has an integrated debugger.

Accuracy: Cycle-exact
License: Freeware

WinAPE

Inactive

CPC
Freeware

A Windows emulator for the CPC and CPC Plus range, best known among CPC developers for its built-in assembler and debugger.

Accuracy: High
License: Freeware

ZEsarUX

Active

CPC
MSX
Spectrum
Open source

A ZX machines emulator covering the ZX80/81, every Spectrum model, the QL, Z88, Spectrum Next and many clones, plus the Amstrad CPC, MSX and Sega Master System, with a very extensive debugger.

Accuracy: High
License: Open source
Since: 2013

CPC hardware

Mini consoles and FPGA hardware that play CPC software. About hardware

MiST

Available

Archimedes
Amiga
CPC
+10 more
FPGA
Mini

An FPGA board designed by Till Harbaum to re-create the Amiga and Atari ST, later joined by many 8-bit computer, console and arcade cores. It loads software from an SD card and has analog video output.

Released: 2013
Launch price: 190 EUR

Photo: sorgelig, MiSTer project (DE10-Nano with the MiSTer SDRAM and I/O boards) · GPL-3.0 (project repository) · source

Terasic DE10-Nano

Available

Archimedes
Amiga
CPC
+18 more
FPGA
Mini

The Intel Cyclone V SoC development board that the MiSTer project is built on. Most MiSTer cores also need an add-on SDRAM board, and analog video needs an I/O board.

Released: 2017
Launch price: 130 USD

SiDi

Discontinued

Archimedes
Amiga
CPC
+13 more
FPGA
Mini

A low-cost MiST-compatible FPGA board designed by Manuel Fernández Higueras, with a Cyclone IV FPGA, USB ports for controllers and VGA output. MiST cores are resynthesised for it.

Released: 2019

MiSTer Pi

Available

Archimedes
Amiga
CPC
+18 more
FPGA
Mini

A low-cost FPGA board from Retro Remake that is compatible with the DE10-Nano used by the MiSTer project. It is sold in production batches, bundled with SDRAM and, in larger packs, an analog I/O board and USB hub.

Released: 2024

SiDi128

Available

Archimedes
Amiga
CPC
+15 more
FPGA
Mini

The successor to the SiDi, a MiST-family FPGA board with a larger Cyclone 10 LP FPGA and two SDRAM chips, adding HDMI, optical audio and joystick ports.

Released: 2024

MiSTer Multisystem 2

Available

Archimedes
Amiga
CPC
+18 more
FPGA
Mini

A ready-built console from Heber that runs the open-source MiSTer FPGA project, with 128 MB SDRAM on board so it plays all standard MiSTer cores. The Analogue model adds RGB and VGA outputs and a cartridge expansion slot.

Released: 2025
Launch price: 210 GBP

SuperStation One

Available

Archimedes
Amiga
CPC
+18 more
FPGA
Mini

A MiSTer-compatible FPGA console from Retro Remake styled after the PSone, with ports for original PlayStation controllers and memory cards. It runs the MiSTer cores for other consoles and computers too.

Released: 2025
Launch price: 179.99 USD

FPGA cores

Hardware re-creations for FPGA boards such as MiSTer. What's an FPGA core?

Amstrad CPC core for MiSTer · The MiSTer core for the Amstrad CPC 6128.
PocketCPC for Analogue Pocket · An Amstrad CPC core for the Analogue Pocket, adapted from the MiSTer Amstrad core with AI assistance. Its author calls it an early release.

CPC file formats

Format	What it is
`.dsk`	Disk image
`.cdt`	Tape image
`.sna`	Snapshot
`.cpr`	Plus cartridge image