emulator: ares type: standalone source: "https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares" upstream: "https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares" profiled_date: "2026-03-26" source_commit: "4cb8d92b441557cb6bcaf133c4cbc7f6819b1122" core_version: "v147" display_name: "ares" cores: [ares] mode: standalone found_by: content systems: - arcade - atari-2600 - atari-5200 - colecovision - myvision - famicom - famicom-disk-system - game-boy - game-boy-color - game-boy-advance - master-system - game-gear - sg-1000 - sc-3000 - mega-drive - sega-32x - mega-cd - mega-cd-32x - mega-ld - laseractive - msx - msx2 - neo-geo - neo-geo-pocket - neo-geo-pocket-color - nintendo-64 - nintendo-64dd - pc-engine - pc-engine-cd - pc-engine-ld - supergrafx - supergrafx-cd - sony-playstation - saturn - super-famicom - wonderswan - wonderswan-color - pocket-challenge-v2 - zx-spectrum - zx-spectrum-128 notes: | Multi-system emulator by Near (byuu), successor to higan/bsnes. Focuses on accuracy and preservation. 41 emulators registered at this pin (desktop-ui/emulator/emulators.cpp). Firmware identification uses SHA256 hashes. Filenames are user-defined: ares scans a configured directory and matches by hash. ref: desktop-ui/settings/firmware.cpp:116-136 Firmware path resolution: settings.paths.firmware (user override) or {userData}/ares/Firmware/ (default). Per-system firmware assigned in Settings > Firmware dialog or via scan-by-hash. ref: desktop-ui/settings/settings.hpp:87-99, desktop-ui/desktop-ui.cpp:68-75 Systems with fully embedded firmware (no user files needed): Game Boy (boot.rom), Game Boy Color (boot.rom), Mega Drive (TMSS), Sega 32X (TMSS + vector + SH2 boot M/S), Nintendo 64 (PIF NTSC/PAL/SM5 + CIC 6101/6102/6105/7101), Super Famicom (IPL + all coprocessor firmware: DSP1-4, CX4, ST010, ST011, ST018, SGB1/2 boot ROMs), WonderSwan (boot.rom), WonderSwan Color (boot.rom), Pocket Challenge V2 (boot.rom), ZX Spectrum (BIOS), ZX Spectrum 128 (BIOS + sub ROM). ref: mia/resource/resource.bml, mia/Firmware/ SFC coprocessor firmware auto-injected if missing from ROM image. ref: mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:42-62 Neo Geo BIOS: accepts ZIP archive (neogeo.zip) or direct binary. AES looks for "neo-epo.bin" inside ZIP, MVS looks for "sp-45.sp1". Both apply byte-swap after loading. ref: mia/system/neo-geo-aes.cpp:12-30, mia/system/neo-geo-mvs.cpp:12-30 SFC base cartridges (Super Game Boy, Satellaview BS-X, Sufami Turbo) are games, not firmware: the file opened as the Super Famicom game is the base cartridge, and the cartridge it describes then asks for the Game Boy, BS Memory or Sufami Turbo medium through its slot. Each medium comes from the load queue, then the command line, then a file dialog, so ares names none of these files. mia identifies the base cartridge by the SHA-256 of its ROM in the Super Famicom database, else by its header: the BANDAI SFC-ADX signature makes a Sufami Turbo board, serial ZBSJ a BS-X board, serial 042J or cartridge type 0xE3 a Super Game Boy board. ref: desktop-ui/emulator/super-famicom.cpp:158-217, desktop-ui/emulator/emulator.cpp:155-186, mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:88-95, mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:570-602 Systems with no firmware: Arcade, Atari 2600, Famicom, MyVision, PC Engine, SuperGrafx, SG-1000, SC-3000. files: # --- Atari 5200 --- - name: 5200.rom system: atari-5200 required: true size: 2048 sha256: "06b250f18983d058c0f156ce7ee88ae48b6eaf11e6f10f21dccf6ac7ffb6a6af" validation: [size, sha256] description: "Atari 5200 BIOS (NTSC-U four-port)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/atari-5200.cpp:12-16, desktop-ui/emulator/atari-5200.cpp:82-88, mia/system/atari-5200.cpp:7-10" # --- ColecoVision --- - name: colecovision.rom system: colecovision required: true sha256: "990bf1956f10207d8781b619eb74f89b00d921c8d45c95c334c16c8cceca09ad" validation: [sha256] description: "ColecoVision BIOS" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/colecovision.cpp:12" # --- Famicom Disk System --- - name: rp2c33-01.bin system: famicom-disk-system required: true sha256: "fdc1a76e654feea993fcb38366e05ee5f4eb641f86fe6bebaeefd412e112dd72" validation: [sha256] description: "Famicom Disk System BIOS, RP2C33-01 revision" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/famicom-disk-system.cpp:19" # --- Game Boy Advance --- - name: gba_bios.bin system: game-boy-advance required: true sha256: "fd2547724b505f487e6dcb29ec2ecff3af35a841a77ab2e85fd87350abd36570" validation: [sha256] description: "GBA BIOS" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/game-boy-advance.cpp:14" # --- Game Gear --- - name: bios.gg system: game-gear required: false sha256: "8c8a21335038285cfa03dc076100c1f0bfadf3e4ff70796f11f3dfaaab60eee2" validation: [sha256] description: "Game Gear BIOS" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/game-gear.cpp:12, mia/system/game-gear.cpp:8 (//optional)" # --- Master System --- - name: bios_U.sms system: master-system required: false sha256: "477617917a12a30f9f43844909dc2de6e6a617430f5c9a36306c86414a670d50" validation: [sha256] description: "Master System BIOS (US)" note: "Picked for NTSC-U, which the code gives every export cart outside its PAL list through the Boot/Prefer setting. The header does not tell US from Europe (mia/medium/master-system.cpp:54-63, desktop-ui/emulator/emulator.cpp:40-60)." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/master-system.cpp:14, mia/system/master-system.cpp:8 (//optional)" - name: bios_J.sms system: master-system region: [japan, south-korea] required: false sha256: "67846e26764bd862f19179294347f7353a4166b62ac4198a5ec32933b7da486e" validation: [sha256] description: "Master System BIOS (Japan)" note: "Picked for NTSC-J, set when the header lacks the export region code 4 and for a hash list of Japanese and Korean carts (mia/medium/master-system.cpp:62-63, 285-464, 493-512)." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/master-system.cpp:15" - name: bios_E.sms system: master-system required: false sha256: "477617917a12a30f9f43844909dc2de6e6a617430f5c9a36306c86414a670d50" validation: [sha256] description: "Master System BIOS (Europe), same binary as US" note: "Picked for PAL, set by a hash list that also holds Korean and Australian releases or by the Boot/Prefer setting (mia/medium/master-system.cpp:54-275, desktop-ui/emulator/emulator.cpp:40-60)." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/master-system.cpp:16" # --- Mega CD --- # Also used by Mega CD 32X (desktop-ui/emulator/mega-cd-32x.cpp) - name: SegaCDBIOS9303.bin system: mega-cd region: [north-america, latin-america] required: true sha256: "fb477cdbf94c84424c2feca4fe40656d85393fe7b7b401911b45ad2eb991258c" md5: "310a9081d2edf2d316ab38813136725e" validation: [sha256] description: "Mega CD / Sega CD BIOS (US)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/mega-cd.cpp:17" - name: jp_mcd2_921222.bin system: mega-cd region: [japan] required: true sha256: "7133fc2dd2fe5b7d0acd53a5f10f3d00b5d31270239ad20d74ef32393e24af88" md5: "683a8a9e273662561172468dfa2858eb" validation: [sha256] description: "Mega CD BIOS (Japan)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/mega-cd.cpp:18" - name: eu_mcd2_9303.bin system: mega-cd region: [europe, oceania] required: true sha256: "fe608a2a07676a23ab5fd5eee2f53c9e2526d69a28aa16ccd85c0ec42e6933cb" md5: "9b562ebf2d095bf1dabadbc1881f519a" validation: [sha256] description: "Mega CD BIOS (Europe)" note: "Picked for PAL, set when the boot code matches the EU security block. The code has no other PAL branch for Australian discs (mia/medium/mega-cd.cpp:47-56, desktop-ui/emulator/mega-cd.cpp:70-74)." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/mega-cd.cpp:19" # --- Mega LD (LaserActive SEGA PAC) --- - name: mega_ld_bios_U.bin system: mega-ld region: [north-america] required: true sha256: "e89b5a319f66406611ec82fe5c4aa6827c175a05135bd7bd177366cba0465021" validation: [sha256] description: "LaserActive SEGA PAC BIOS (US), v1.04" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/mega-ld.cpp:16" - name: mega_ld_bios_J.bin system: mega-ld region: [japan] required: true sha256: "dca942d977217f703d8d1c6eb1aeb6b32c78ecc421486bbb46c459d385161c94" validation: [sha256] description: "LaserActive SEGA PAC BIOS (Japan), v1.02" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/mega-ld.cpp:17" # --- MSX --- - name: msx-japanese.rom system: msx required: true sha256: "413a2b601a94b3792e054be2439cc77a1819cceadbfa9542f88d51c7480f2ef0" validation: [sha256] description: "MSX BIOS ROM (Japan)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/msx.cpp:19" # --- MSX2 --- - name: MSX2J.rom system: msx2 required: true sha256: "0c672d86ead61a97f49a583b88b7c1905da120645cd44f0c9f2baf4f4631e0b1" validation: [sha256] description: "MSX2 main BIOS ROM (Japan)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/msx2.cpp:15" - name: MSX2EXT.ROM system: msx2 required: true sha256: "6c6f421a10c428d960b7ecc990f99af1c638147f747bddca7b0bf0e2ab738300" validation: [sha256] description: "MSX2 sub ROM (Japan)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/msx2.cpp:16" # --- Neo Geo AES --- - name: neo-epo.bin system: neo-geo required: true description: "Neo Geo AES BIOS. Accepts neogeo.zip (extracts neo-epo.bin) or direct file. Byte-swapped on load." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/neo-geo-aes.cpp:14, mia/system/neo-geo-aes.cpp:16" # --- Neo Geo MVS --- - name: sp-45.sp1 system: neo-geo required: true description: "Neo Geo MVS BIOS. Accepts neogeo.zip (extracts sp-45.sp1) or direct file. Byte-swapped on load." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/neo-geo-mvs.cpp:15, mia/system/neo-geo-mvs.cpp:16" # --- Neo Geo Pocket --- - name: ngp_bios.rom system: neo-geo-pocket required: true sha256: "0293555b21c4fac516d25199df7809b26beeae150e1d4504a050db32264a6ad7" validation: [sha256] description: "Neo Geo Pocket BIOS" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/neo-geo-pocket.cpp:12" # --- Neo Geo Pocket Color --- - name: ngpc_bios.rom system: neo-geo-pocket-color required: true sha256: "8fb845a2f71514cec20728e2f0fecfade69444f8d50898b92c2259f1ba63e10d" validation: [sha256] description: "Neo Geo Pocket Color BIOS" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/neo-geo-pocket-color.cpp:12" # --- Nintendo 64DD --- - name: 64dd_ipl_J.bin system: nintendo-64dd region: [japan] required: true sha256: "806400ec0df94b0755de6c5b8249d6b6a9866124c5ddbdac198bde22499bfb8b" validation: [sha256] description: "Nintendo 64DD IPL ROM (Japan retail)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/nintendo-64dd.cpp:17" - name: 64dd_ipl_U.bin system: nintendo-64dd region: [north-america] required: true sha256: "e9fec87a45fba02399e88064b9e2f8cf0f2106e351c58279a87f05da5bc984ad" validation: [sha256] description: "Nintendo 64DD IPL ROM (US dev kit)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/nintendo-64dd.cpp:18" - name: 64dd_ipl_DEV.bin system: nintendo-64dd required: true sha256: "9c2962a8b994a29e4cd04b3a6e4ed730a751414655ab6a9799ebf5fc08b79d44" validation: [sha256] description: "Nintendo 64DD IPL ROM (development)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/nintendo-64dd.cpp:19" # --- PC Engine CD --- - name: syscard1.pce system: pc-engine-cd required: true sha256: "afe9f27f91ac918348555b86298b4f984643eafa2773196f2c5441ea84f0c3bb" validation: [sha256] description: "PC Engine CD-ROM2 System Card v1.0 (Japan). Also used by PC Engine LD." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/pc-engine-cd.cpp:15" - name: syscard3.pce system: pc-engine-cd required: true sha256: "e11527b3b96ce112a037138988ca72fd117a6b0779c2480d9e03eaebece3d9ce" validation: [sha256] description: "Super CD-ROM2 System Card v3.0 (Japan). Also used by SuperGrafx CD as Arcade Card." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/pc-engine-cd.cpp:16, desktop-ui/emulator/supergrafx-cd.cpp:15" - name: syscard3u.pce system: pc-engine-cd required: true sha256: "cadac2725711b3c442bcf237b02f5a5210c96f17625c35fa58f009e0ed39e4db" validation: [sha256] description: "TurboGrafx-CD Super System Card v3.0 (US)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/pc-engine-cd.cpp:17" - name: games_express.pce system: pc-engine-cd required: true sha256: "4b86bb96a48a4ca8375fc0109631d0b1d64f255a03b01de70594d40788ba6c3d" validation: [sha256] description: "Games Express CD Card (Japan). Also used by PC Engine LD." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/pc-engine-cd.cpp:18" # --- PC Engine LD (LaserActive NEC PAC) --- - name: pac-n10.pce system: pc-engine-ld required: true sha256: "0e87a3385a27b3a4cac51934819b7eefa5b3d690768d2495633838488cd0e2e4" validation: [sha256] description: "NEC PAC-N10 LaserActive module (US)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/pc-engine-ld.cpp:18" - name: pac-n1.pce system: pc-engine-ld required: true sha256: "459325690a458baebd77495c91e37c4dddfdd542ba13a821ce954e5bb245627f" validation: [sha256] description: "NEC PAC-N1 LaserActive module (Japan)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/pc-engine-ld.cpp:19" - name: pce-lp1.pce system: pc-engine-ld required: true sha256: "3f43b3b577117d84002e99cb0baeb97b0d65b1d70b4adadc68817185c6a687f0" validation: [sha256] description: "NEC PCE-LP1 LaserActive module (Japan)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/pc-engine-ld.cpp:20" # --- PlayStation --- - name: scph5501.bin system: sony-playstation region: [north-america, latin-america] required: true sha256: "11052b6499e466bbf0a709b1f9cb6834a9418e66680387912451e971cf8a1fef" validation: [sha256] description: "PlayStation BIOS (US)" note: "Picked for NTSC-U, set by both America licence strings and for an executable. A disc with no recognised licence offers NTSC-U and PAL, and the Boot/Prefer setting picks (mia/medium/playstation.cpp:66-73, 92, desktop-ui/emulator/playstation.cpp:85-92, desktop-ui/emulator/emulator.cpp:40-58)." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/playstation.cpp:18, desktop-ui/emulator/playstation.cpp:85-92, mia/medium/playstation.cpp:65-73" - name: scph5500.bin system: sony-playstation region: [japan] required: true sha256: "9c0421858e217805f4abe18698afea8d5aa36ff0727eb8484944e00eb5e7eadb" validation: [sha256] description: "PlayStation BIOS (Japan)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/playstation.cpp:19, desktop-ui/emulator/playstation.cpp:85-92, mia/medium/playstation.cpp:65-73" - name: scph5502.bin system: sony-playstation region: [europe, oceania] required: true sha256: "1faaa18fa820a0225e488d9f086296b8e6c46df739666093987ff7d8fd352c09" validation: [sha256] description: "PlayStation BIOS (Europe)" source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/playstation.cpp:20, desktop-ui/emulator/playstation.cpp:85-92, mia/medium/playstation.cpp:65-73" # --- Saturn --- - name: saturn_bios_U.bin system: saturn required: true description: "Sega Saturn BIOS (US)" note: "Never picked from the disc: mia tags every Saturn disc NTSC-J (mia/medium/saturn.cpp:42, desktop-ui/emulator/saturn.cpp:26-30)." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/saturn.cpp:14" - name: saturn_bios_J.bin system: saturn required: true description: "Sega Saturn BIOS (Japan)" note: "Picked for every disc: mia tags each Saturn disc NTSC-J without reading it (mia/medium/saturn.cpp:42, desktop-ui/emulator/saturn.cpp:26-30)." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/saturn.cpp:15" - name: saturn_bios_E.bin system: saturn required: true description: "Sega Saturn BIOS (Europe)" note: "Never picked from the disc: mia tags every Saturn disc NTSC-J (mia/medium/saturn.cpp:42, desktop-ui/emulator/saturn.cpp:26-30)." source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/saturn.cpp:16" # --- SFC subsystem ROMs (loaded as game cartridges, not firmware) --- - name: SGB1.sfc system: super-famicom required: false category: game_data description: "Super Game Boy cartridge ROM, opened as the Super Famicom game. The SGB1 boot ROM is embedded and appended when the image lacks it." note: >- Without its own boot ROM the image gets the embedded SGB1 boot ROM appended before hashing, so the database SHA-256 (4d7fc331, SYS-SGB-2) is that of the 256 KiB ROM followed by the 256-byte boot ROM. source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/super-famicom.cpp:179-187, mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:42-62, mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:88-95, mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:891-895" - name: SGB2.sfc system: super-famicom required: false category: game_data description: "Super Game Boy 2 cartridge ROM, opened as the Super Famicom game. The SGB2 boot ROM is embedded and appended when the image lacks it." note: >- Identified by serial 042J or the label Super GAMEBOY2. Without its own boot ROM the image gets the embedded SGB2 boot ROM appended before hashing, so the database SHA-256 (e1db895a, SYS-SGB2-10) is that of the 512 KiB ROM followed by the 256-byte boot ROM, and the board carries its own 20971520 Hz oscillator. source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/super-famicom.cpp:179-187, mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:42-62, mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:88-95, mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:590-592, mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:891-895" - name: STBIOS.bin system: super-famicom required: false category: game_data description: "Sufami Turbo base cartridge ROM, opened as the Super Famicom game. Its two slots then ask for Sufami Turbo cartridges." note: >- Identified by the BANDAI SFC-ADX signature at offset 0, since another game shares its serial A9PJ. The database lists the 256 KiB ROM as SHVC-A9PJ-0 (SHA-256 edacb453). source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/super-famicom.cpp:199-217, mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:570-576" - name: BS-X.bin system: super-famicom required: false category: game_data description: "Satellaview BS-X cartridge ROM, opened as the Super Famicom game. Its slot then asks for a BS Memory pack." note: >- Identified by serial ZBSJ, which gives the BS-MCC board. The database lists the 1 MiB ROM as SHVC-ZBSJ-1 (SHA-256 3ce32149). source_ref: "desktop-ui/emulator/super-famicom.cpp:189-197, mia/medium/super-famicom.cpp:587-589"