emulator: Stella 2023
type: libretro
core_classification: frozen_snapshot
source: "https://github.com/libretro/stella2023"
upstream: "https://github.com/stella-emu/stella"
profiled_date: "2026-03-25"
core_version: "7.0_pre"
display_name: "Atari - 2600 (Stella 2023)"
cores:
  - stella2023
systems:
  - atari_2600

notes: |
  Frozen snapshot of Stella development branch (7.0_pre, copyright 2024).
  The .info reports display_version 6.6 which does not match the source
  (src/common/Version.hxx defines STELLA_VERSION as "7.0_pre").

  The Atari 2600 has no BIOS ROM; TIA, RIOT, and 6507 CPU are fully
  emulated in software. The SuperCharger (Starpath) BIOS is emulated via
  a built-in dummy ROM (ourDummyROMCode in CartAR.cxx:279). The game
  properties database is compiled into DefProps.hxx; external loading is
  disabled in the libretro port (OSystemLIBRETRO returns
  CompositeKeyValueRepositoryNoop for the property repository).

  The libretro interface does not call RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_GET_SYSTEM_DIRECTORY
  and declares no firmware requirements (firmware_count=0 in .info).

  KidVid Voice Module audio tapes (7 WAV files) are checked via
  FSNode::exists() in baseDir (resolves to content directory in the
  libretro port). SoundLIBRETRO does not override playWav()/wavSize()
  from the base Sound class, so WAV playback is non-functional. Games
  work without WAV files using a timing-based fallback in KidVid::setNextSong().

  EEPROM save data for AtariVox and SaveKey peripherals is managed as
  NVRAM, not user-supplied.

files:
  - name: KVS1.WAV
    description: "KidVid Voice Module audio tape 1 (Smurfs Save the Day)"
    required: false
    category: game_data
    source_ref: "stella2023/src/emucore/KidVid.cxx:245,273"
  - name: KVS2.WAV
    description: "KidVid Voice Module audio tape 2 (Smurfs Save the Day)"
    required: false
    category: game_data
    source_ref: "stella2023/src/emucore/KidVid.cxx:245,273"
  - name: KVS3.WAV
    description: "KidVid Voice Module audio tape 3 (Smurfs Save the Day)"
    required: false
    category: game_data
    source_ref: "stella2023/src/emucore/KidVid.cxx:245,273"
  - name: KVB1.WAV
    description: "KidVid Voice Module audio tape 1 (Berenstain Bears)"
    required: false
    category: game_data
    source_ref: "stella2023/src/emucore/KidVid.cxx:246,273"
  - name: KVB2.WAV
    description: "KidVid Voice Module audio tape 2 (Berenstain Bears)"
    required: false
    category: game_data
    source_ref: "stella2023/src/emucore/KidVid.cxx:246,273"
  - name: KVB3.WAV
    description: "KidVid Voice Module audio tape 3 (Berenstain Bears)"
    required: false
    category: game_data
    source_ref: "stella2023/src/emucore/KidVid.cxx:246,273"
  - name: KVSHARED.WAV
    description: "KidVid Voice Module shared audio samples"
    required: false
    category: game_data
    source_ref: "stella2023/src/emucore/KidVid.cxx:274"