The MSX emulator that aims for perfection.
Publisher’s description
What is openMSX?
openMSX by openMSX is free Windows software in the emulators category. It is written in C++. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI and Portable installers for 64-bit Windows. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (openMSX/openMSX) has 559 stars. On Windows it registers 5 file types, including .rom, .mx1, .mx2, .ri and .sg. Similar programs include PCSX2, BizHawk and SameBoy.
Project description on GitHub: “the MSX emulator that aims for perfection”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Free to use
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on Linux
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- No update for more than a year
In short: openMSX is a free emulator tool for 64-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is openMSX 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:
47B002BE2D9B6F9856DAF99CA71D474334BCE0DD107C7A01F1A8A1A0A02D715F· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 1 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21.0.0Latest | September 25, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id openMSX.openMSX -emsiexec /i openmsx-21.0-windows-vc-x64-bin-msi.zip /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {4473C329-D161-418D-89FE-A0C335AC51DB} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub org.openmsx.openMSXInformation
- Publisher
- openMSX
- Category
- Emulators
- Licence
- None known (Freeware, source code available)
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/openMSX/openMSX
- Written in
- C++
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- MSI, Portable
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- 21.0.0
- Released
- September 25, 2025
- Added to the catalogue
- February 19, 2026
- Versions listed
- 1
- GitHub stars
- 559
- GitHub forks
- 145
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- openMSX.openMSX
- MSI product code
- {4473C329-D161-418D-89FE-A0C335AC51DB}
File types it opens (5)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to openMSX
See all ›-
Open source11.1K ↓ -
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 ↓ -
Open source1.1K ↓ -
Open source★ 33.9K -
Open source★ 10K - Open source64K ↓
-
Open source50 ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is openMSX free?
Yes. openMSX is free to use.
Is openMSX 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 openMSX 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 openMSX be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does openMSX run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
What are alternatives to openMSX?
PCSX2, BizHawk, SameBoy, bsnes and shadPS4. The alternatives page compares them.
