Emulator core licenses
Last updated: October 4, 2026
Multitap loads emulator cores as separate native or WebAssembly libretro binaries. A user providing a ROM does not grant rights to the emulator core, and an upstream source link is not automatically a complete source offer for the exact binary we distribute.
The table below is generated from the same machine-readable inventory that is checked against the platform registry in CI. It is an engineering compliance status, not legal advice.
| Core | Systems | License | Compliance state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nestopia UE | NES / Famicom | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| FCEUmm | Famicom Disk System | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Snes9x | SNES / Super Famicom | LicenseRef-Snes9x-NonCommercial | Non-commercial: blocked for monetization |
| bsnes (Retro Scene experiment) | SNES / Super Famicom | GPL-3.0-or-later | Experimental: not distributed. Modified capture build; publish the complete Corresponding Source before distribution. |
| ParaLLEl N64 | Nintendo 64 | GPL-3.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Mupen64Plus-Next | Nintendo 64 | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Gambatte | Game Boy / Game Boy Color | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| mGBA | Game Boy / Game Boy Color / Advance | MPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| melonDS | Nintendo DS | GPL-3.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Genesis Plus GX | Mega Drive / Master System / Game Gear / Sega CD | LicenseRef-Genesis-Plus-GX-NonCommercial | Non-commercial: blocked for monetization |
| PicoDrive | Mega Drive / 32X | LicenseRef-PicoDrive-NonCommercial | Non-commercial: blocked for monetization |
| Beetle Saturn | Sega Saturn | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Yabause | Sega Saturn | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Flycast | Dreamcast / Naomi / Atomiswave | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| PCSX ReARMed | PlayStation | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| PCSX2 libretro | PlayStation 2 | GPL-3.0 | Exact source offer open |
| PPSSPP | PlayStation Portable | GPL-2.0-or-later | Exact source offer open |
| Beetle PCE Fast | PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Beetle PC-FX | PC-FX | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Stella | Atari 2600 | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Atari800 | Atari 5200 / 8-bit | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| a5200 | Atari 5200 | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| ProSystem | Atari 7800 | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Virtual Jaguar | Atari Jaguar | GPL-3.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Handy | Atari Lynx | Zlib | Notice required |
| Opera | 3DO | LicenseRef-FreeDO-NonCommercial | Non-commercial: blocked for monetization |
| Beetle VB | Virtual Boy | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Beetle WonderSwan | WonderSwan / WonderSwan Color | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Beetle NGP | Neo Geo Pocket / Color | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Gearcoleco | ColecoVision | GPL-3.0 | Exact source offer open |
| blueMSX | MSX | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| FreeIntv | Intellivision | GPL-2.0-or-later | Exact source offer open |
| VICE x64sc | Commodore 64 | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| PUAE | Amiga | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| DOSBox Pure | DOS | GPL-2.0 | Exact source offer open |
| Fuse | ZX Spectrum | GPL-3.0 | Exact source offer open |
| MAME 2003-Plus | Arcade | LicenseRef-MAME-2003-NonCommercial | Non-commercial: blocked for monetization |
| FinalBurn Neo | Arcade / Neo Geo | LicenseRef-FBNeo-NonCommercial | Non-commercial: blocked for monetization |
How to read the status
- Notice required: distribution is commercially compatible subject to the license notice.
- Exact source offer open: the license permits commercial distribution, but Multitap still needs a durable bundle or offer for the exact distributed build, including build scripts and modifications.
- Non-commercial: blocked for monetization: the current core cannot be part of a paid commercial offering without replacement or separate written permission.
- Experimental: not distributed: the build is kept out of the product until its publication obligations and validation are complete.
The libretro API header is MIT-licensed. Core licenses do not grant rights to games, BIOS files, trademarks or ROM-derived View Pack assets; those remain separate inputs and are never made redistributable by this page.
Questions or corrections: legal@multitap.gg.