Cemu is a free and open-source Wii U emulator, first released on October 13, 2015 for Microsoft Windows as a closed-source emulator developed by Exzap and Petergov. With the release of Cemu 2.1 on August 27, 2024 it gained stable support for Linux and macOS. Though still under development, it is able to run the majority of games smoothly, assuming compatible hardware. The popularity of the emulator spiked with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2017 as Cemu successfully booted and ran the title within hours of its release.
Designed as a proof-of-concept, the initial release of Cemu was able to successfully boot Mario Kart 8 and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD yet lacked Wii U GamePad support and audio and suffered from stutters and video glitches. Cemu could run on 64-bit Windows operating systems and only supported OpenGL 3.3 on release. Despite the Wii U sharing a similar name as its predecessor, the Wii, the emulator was built independently from Dolphin, a Wii emulator, as the systems only shared their CPU architecture in common. The emulator would rapidly progress from this state and increase its compatibility with the Wii U game library and add more features.
What is Cemu?
Cemu by Cemu is open-source Windows software in the emulators category. It ranks 18th by popularity among emulators in this catalogue. It is written in C++ and C. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux and macOS.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.6, released on February 6, 2025. The version history goes back to May 4, 2023: 8 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 4.5 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (cemu-project/Cemu) has 10,016 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 9 of our languages. Similar programs include PCSX2, SameBoy and BizHawk.
Project description on GitHub: “Cemu - Wii U emulator”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Also runs on Linux and macOS
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- No update for more than a year
In short: Cemu is an open-source emulator tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is Cemu 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:
A6BCC2BC42A362D10213819948F3152FAE7D47F70067F25939B51D3DDCFB0896· 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 8 versions ›8 versions over 2 years · about 4.5 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.6Latest | February 6, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 2.5 | December 7, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 2.4 | November 13, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 2.3 | November 1, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 2.2 | September 8, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 2.1 | August 27, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 2.0 | February 20, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.26.2 | May 4, 2023 | 25.0 MB | 64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Cemu.Cemu -eRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Cemu
- Category
- Emulators
- Licence
- MPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/cemu-project/Cemu
- Written in
- C++ and C
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Other platforms
- Linux, macOS
- Version
- 2.6
- Released
- February 6, 2025
- Added to the catalogue
- May 4, 2023
- Versions listed
- 8
- Updates / year
- 4.5
- GitHub stars
- 10,016
- GitHub forks
- 1,018
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Cemu.Cemu
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Cemu
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SameBoy1.0.4SameBoy is an open source Game Boy (DMG) and Game Boy Color (CGB) emulator, written in portable C.Other licence712 ↓ -
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 ↓ -
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Frequently asked questions
Is Cemu free?
Yes. Cemu is open-source software under the MPL-2.0 licence.
Is Cemu 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 Cemu 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 Cemu run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Cemu?
The versions page lists all 8 versions with links to their official installer files, back to May 4, 2023.
Can I use Cemu without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to Cemu?
PCSX2, SameBoy, BizHawk, bsnes and shadPS4. The alternatives page compares them.
