MAME (formerly an acronym of Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is a free and open-source emulator designed to emulate the hardware of arcade games, later expanded to include video game consoles, old computers and other systems in software on modern personal computers and other platforms. Its intention is to preserve gaming history by preventing vintage video games from being lost or forgotten. It does this by emulating the inner workings of the emulated machines; the ability to actually play the video games is considered "a nice side effect". Joystiq has listed MAME as an application that every Windows and Mac gamer should have.
The first public MAME release was by Nicola Salmoria on 5 February 1997. The project currently documents over 32,000 individual systems, with more than 10,000 working titles, including arcade hardware, home computers, and video game consoles, though not all games are playable. MESS, an emulator for many video game consoles and computer systems, based on the MAME core, was integrated into MAME in 2015.
What is MAME?
MAME is an open-source pc game program for Windows from MAMEdev (developed by Nicola Salmoria). It ranks 8th by popularity among pc games in this catalogue. It is written in C++ and C. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux, macOS and Unix-like operating system.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit and ARM64 as EXE. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.289, released on July 31, 2026. 2 versions are listed since March 30, 2026, each with links to its own installer files.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 10,894 times. The source code on GitHub (mamedev/mame) has 10,653 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 18 of our languages. Similar programs include RetroArch, OpenTTD and PPSSPP.
Project description on GitHub: “MAME”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on Linux, macOS and Unix-like operating system
- Large user base
In short: MAME is an open-source pc game tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is MAME 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:
A1AA7912168C9D1B05E611906BC21B8B9BE3935822AEAD36D12A1DA363150B7D· 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
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the mamedev/mame repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Restricted token permissions10
- Fuzzing10
- Licence declared9
- Code review5
- Branch protection3
- Pinned dependencies3
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Security policy0
- Signed releases0
- No binaries in the repository0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 2 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.289Latest | July 31, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXEARM64 EXE |
| 0.287 | March 30, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXEARM64 EXE |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id MAMEdev.MAME -echoco install mame -ymame0289b_x64.exe -yRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install mameflatpak install flathub org.mamedev.MAMEInformation
- Publisher
- MAMEdev
- Developer
- Nicola Salmoria
- Category
- PC games
- Licence
- Mostly GPLv2, with some subcomponents licensed differently.
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/mamedev/mame
- Written in
- C++ and C
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- EXE
- Other platforms
- Linux, macOS, Unix-like operating system
- Version
- 0.289
- Released
- July 31, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- June 16, 2026
- Versions listed
- 2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 10,894
- GitHub stars
- 10,653
- GitHub forks
- 2,610
- Website
- mamedev.org
- winget ID
- MAMEdev.MAME
- Chocolatey package
- mame
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is MAME free?
Yes. MAME is open-source software under the Mostly GPLv2, with some subcomponents licensed differently. licence.
Is MAME 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 MAME 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.
Can MAME be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does MAME run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of MAME?
The versions page lists all 2 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 30, 2026.
What are alternatives to MAME?
RetroArch, OpenTTD, PPSSPP, Steam and Celestia. The alternatives page compares them.
