ares is a cross-platform, open source, multi-system emulator, focusing on accuracy and preservation.
Publisher’s description
What is ares?
ares by ares team is open-source Windows software in the emulators category. It ranks 41st by popularity among emulators in this catalogue. It is written in C++. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit and ARM64 Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 148, released on May 30, 2026. The version history goes back to August 26, 2025: 3 releases, all linked to the official files.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (ares-emulator/ares) has 1,843 stars. Similar programs include PCSX2, BizHawk and SameBoy.
Project description on GitHub: “ares is a cross-platform, open source, multi-system emulator, focusing on accuracy and preservation.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Portable: runs without installation
- Also runs on Linux
In short: ares is an open-source emulator tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs.
Key features
- Native multi-platform UI
- Adaptive sync
- Dynamic rate control
- Save states
- Run-ahead
- Rewind and fast-forward
- Pixel shaders
- Color correction
- 6th-order IIR audio filtering
- Input multi-mapping
- Built-in games database
- Debugger
- Librashader
- Aleck 64
AppStream · Flathub
Is ares safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
FA97958E1D359E3FE254353F87B6508F2762A959D7EB264C69965AD002037298· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 3 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 148Latest | May 30, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
| 147 | December 23, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIPARM64 ZIP |
| 146 | August 26, 2025 | — | ARM64 ZIP64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id ares-emulator.ares -eRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask ares-emulatorflatpak install flathub dev.ares.aresInformation
- Publisher
- ares team
- Category
- Emulators
- Licence
- ISC
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/ares-emulator/ares
- Written in
- C++
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- Portable
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- 148
- Released
- May 30, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- September 8, 2025
- Versions listed
- 3
- Downloads on ExeAtlas
- 3
- GitHub stars
- 1,843
- GitHub forks
- 236
- Website
- ares-emu.net
- winget ID
- ares-emulator.ares
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to ares
See all ›-
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BizHawk2.11A core-based, multi-system emulator written in C#. Provides nice features for casual gamers such as full screen, and controller/joystick support in addition to full rerecording and debugging tools for all system cores.Open source4.3K ↓ -
SameBoy1.0.4SameBoy is an open source Game Boy (DMG) and Game Boy Color (CGB) emulator, written in portable C.Other licence712 ↓ -
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Open source★ 33.9K -
Open source★ 10K -
Open source50 ↓ - Open source64K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is ares free?
Yes. ares is open-source software under the ISC licence.
Is ares safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install ares with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Does ares run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of ares?
The versions page lists all 3 versions with links to their official installer files, back to August 26, 2025.
Can I use ares without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to ares?
PCSX2, BizHawk, SameBoy, bsnes and shadPS4. The alternatives page compares them.
