Acorn BBC Micro emulators

Also known as BBC Model B

Built by Acorn for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, it filled British classrooms in the 1980s. Known for its fast BBC BASIC, expandability and games such as Elite and Repton.

Manufacturer: Acorn Computers
Years: 1981–1994
Generation: 8-bit
CPU: MOS 6502 @ 2 MHz
Models: Model A, Model B, Model B+, Master 128, Master Compact
More: Wikipedia

Acorn BBC Micro — Photo: Stuart Brady; derivative work by Ubcule · Public domain · source

6 emulators

B-em

Active

BBC Micro
Open source

A BBC Micro emulator originally written by Sarah Walker and now maintained by the Stardot community. It covers several BBC models along with a range of second processors.

License: Open source

b2

Active

BBC Micro
Open source

Tom Seddon's emulator of the BBC Micro, BBC Master 128, Master Compact and Olivetti PC 128 S, with a separate debug build that adds a debugger for software development.

License: Open source

A BBC Micro and Master 128 emulator first written for Unix in 1994 by Dave Gilbert and later ported to Windows, where Chris Needham now maintains it. It runs most BBC software, including Elite and Exile.

License: Open source
Since: 1994

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

jsbeeb

Active

BBC Micro
Open source
Mobile

Matt Godbolt's JavaScript emulator of the BBC Micro Model B and Master 128, derived from B-em. It runs in the browser and as an Electron desktop app, with a debugger, save states and rewind.

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

BBC Micro hardware

Mini consoles and FPGA hardware that play BBC Micro 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?

BBC Micro core for MiSTer · The MiSTer core for the BBC Micro Model B and Master 128.

BBC Micro file formats

Format	What it is
`.ssd`	Single-sided disk image
`.dsd`	Double-sided disk image
`.uef`	Tape image