I’m tired of Project64 and I need to find another emulator

[KittenLikeYou007]

Hi everyone, I know some people might say I’m crazy for even bringing this up , after all, Project64 is considered by many to be the best N64 emulator out there (and maybe it really is, I don’t know, just saying it in advance). But I do have a reason, so let me explain quickly.

I’ve been using Project64 for a long time, starting back with version 1.6 in the mid-2000s. At the time it was the best of the best—totally free, simple to run, and it launched instantly. The reason I’m mentioning this is because, ever since the later versions (2.x or 3.x, I don’t remember exactly), the new policy has been terrible. They force you to wait 30 seconds unless you pay, which feels more like punishment than motivation to donate. Back in the old days, the Project64 team didn’t do this at all! That’s why I’ve always stuck with version 1.6, since at least it didn’t have that nonsense.

The problem now is that 1.6 is pretty buggy with a lot of official games, and it doesn’t work at all with some newer Mario fangames. So I’m at the point where I probably need to move on from Project64 and switch to another emulator. As far as I know, Mupen isn’t really active anymore, and while I’ve heard of new projects like Simple64, it doesn’t seem to be nearly as popular as Project64.

So my question is: do you know of a good N64 emulator you can recommend? Ideally something with simple settings and solid compatibility.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

[NovumVeritas]

Try Ares (has a good N64 emulator) or simple 64.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

I'd advise being careful with Project64 anyway... There have been more than a few credible reports of it including malware.

 

[KittenLikeYou007]

Try Ares (has a good N64 emulator) or simple 64.

Is the compatibility rate of Simple64 as good as Project64?

 

[NovumVeritas]

Is the compatibility rate of Simple64 as good as Project64?

I haven't any sources regarding compatibility, but Modern Vintage Gamer recommended it instead of Project64. You also can try Gopher64.

GitHub - gopher64/gopher64: Highly compatible N64 emulator

Highly compatible N64 emulator. Contribute to gopher64/gopher64 development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

 

[KenShjIN]

Simple 64 if you´re up for accuracy

 

[Grumpy_Old_Man]

Rosalie mupen 64(appimage) have been working pretty well in my end, tried around 30 or so games.

 

[Deleted member 132407]

Gopher64 for the win

Releases · gopher64/gopher64

Highly compatible N64 emulator. Contribute to gopher64/gopher64 development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

 

[KittenLikeYou007]

Thanks for the responses. I’ll first take a look at Gopher64, which thecrow2313 suggested to me, and later I’ll also try Simple64 in parallel, which other members have mentioned.

I’ll then make my conclusion about which one suits me best and leave a message explaining my choice.
In the meantime, if others suggest something else, that won’t stop me from trying it.

 

[Bakuma1997]

I second Grumpy, not only it works on demanding games, it also works on Hacks, corrently playing Smash Remix with far and in between any slowdown

 

[KittenLikeYou007]

Well, I'm running into a peculiar issue. No matter how many times I launch or double-click "gopher64-windows-x86_64.exe" and the latest official version of Simple64, simple64-gui.exe, they just won’t open. I don’t even see the hourglass cursor, and there’s no activity on the PC when I try to run them.

I do have a 64-bit processor and the latest Windows 11. Modern 64-bit emulators like PCSX2 or DuckStation work perfectly, so it’s really baffling. I even restarted the PC and tried opening both Gopher64 and Simple64 again, but it’s still the same problem—they just won’t execute.

 

[Deleted member 132407]

Well, I'm running into a peculiar issue. No matter how many times I launch or double-click "gopher64-windows-x86_64.exe" and the latest official version of Simple64, simple64-gui.exe, they just won’t open. I don’t even see the hourglass cursor, and there’s no activity on the PC when I try to run them.

I do have a 64-bit processor and the latest Windows 11. Modern 64-bit emulators like PCSX2 or DuckStation work perfectly, so it’s really baffling. I even restarted the PC and tried opening both Gopher64 and Simple64 again, but it’s still the same problem—they just won’t execute.

https://github.com/abbodi1406/vcredist/releases/download/v0.92.0/VisualCppRedist_AIO_x86_x64.exe

 

[cloudsets]

Ares and Gopher64 have built-in low-level emulation with high levels of accuracy. Most other Nintendo 64 emulators (Project64 included) use various plugins to handle the actual emulation that have varying levels of accuracy and compatibility.

I recommend Ares or Gopher64. If you like enhancements such as widescreen hacks, texture packs, or internal resolution boosts, use the GLideN64 plugin in RMG or the RetroArch Mupen64Plus-Next core.

 

[Miles Miles]

Rosalie mupen 64(appimage) have been working pretty well in my end, tried around 30 or so games.

That seems to be the best option at the moment.

 

[KittenLikeYou007]

https://github.com/abbodi1406/vcredist/releases/download/v0.92.0/VisualCppRedist_AIO_x86_x64.exe

I installed it, and on that side everything went fine. I even restarted my computer, just in case, but the same problem persists — it doesn’t run. HOWEVER, there was a small change: for a few seconds, the hourglass appeared on my mouse cursor, or there was some sort of activity, but nothing actually happened (Gopher64/Simple64).


On the other hand, it’s really frustrating and confusing because, for some reason, when I try the Rosalie Mupen emulator ("RMG-Setup-Windows64-v0.7.9"), it runs perfectly on my PC. The only emulator that launches with Project64 doesn’t give me any explanation why.

 

[NardoBoom]

Gopher64 or Ares

 

[Glimbo]

I installed it, and on that side everything went fine. I even restarted my computer, just in case, but the same problem persists — it doesn’t run. HOWEVER, there was a small change: for a few seconds, the hourglass appeared on my mouse cursor, or there was some sort of activity, but nothing actually happened (Gopher64/Simple64).


On the other hand, it’s really frustrating and confusing because, for some reason, when I try the Rosalie Mupen emulator ("RMG-Setup-Windows64-v0.7.9"), it runs perfectly on my PC. The only emulator that launches with Project64 doesn’t give me any explanation why.

What CPU do you have? Gopher64 and Simple64 requires a CPU with the AVX2 instruction set.
I have a feeling that's the problem.

 

[KittenLikeYou007]

What CPU do you have? Gopher64 and Simple64 requires a CPU with the AVX2 instruction set.
I have a feeling that's the problem.

Indeed, it seems that’s the case. Let me explain:
I have a PC with an i7-3770 / RX580 that I rarely use—mostly just for browsing the web. It’s my old gaming rig. To save time, I tested the emulator directly on it, since DuckStation (a PS1 emulator) runs fine on the same CPU, and I figured an N64 emulator from the same era would work too. After reading your comment, I switched to my new machine—a Ryzen 5 / RTX 3050—and it booted on the first try. I haven’t tested any games yet, so I’ll reserve final judgment until then.

 

[RETRO-VETRO RETRO-VETRO]

Totally fair to feel frustrated with Project64’s newer versions. That 30-second wait really takes the fun out of things, especially when older versions like 1.6 used to launch instantly and didn’t ask for donations. But since 1.6 is getting buggy and doesn’t play newer games well, it might be time to try something else.

A great alternative is Simple64, it’s easy to use, works well with most games, and doesn’t bug you for money. It’s based on Mupen64Plus, which is still solid even if it’s not super active anymore. If you want more features and don’t mind a bit of setup, RetroArch is also a strong choice. It supports lots of systems, has cool extras like rewind and net-play, and works on almost every device. And if you’re on a Mac, OpenEmu is perfect, super clean and user-friendly.

(I know how to remove the 30-second wait so just ask me for it)

 

[KenShjIN]

Retroarch with Mupen is a solid choice although Retroarch may be a little tricky to get used to

 

[aquova]

Huh, I'm actually not familiar with Project64 at all. I thought Mupen64 (and it's various forks) was the preeminent N64 emulator for a long time. Ares I know is an independent implementation, which doesn't use the plugin system, but I've also used Parallel Launcher and RMG recently, both seem solid.

Post automatically merged: Aug 21, 2025

This is a good reference if you aren't familiar

https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Nintendo_64_emulators

 

[cloudsets]

Huh, I'm actually not familiar with Project64 at all.

Project64 is where the plugin API you are familiar with originated.

 

[Deleted member 132407]

Totally fair to feel frustrated with Project64’s newer versions. That 30-second wait really takes the fun out of things, especially when older versions like 1.6 used to launch instantly and didn’t ask for donations. But since 1.6 is getting buggy and doesn’t play newer games well, it might be time to try something else.

A great alternative is Simple64, it’s easy to use, works well with most games, and doesn’t bug you for money. It’s based on Mupen64Plus, which is still solid even if it’s not super active anymore. If you want more features and don’t mind a bit of setup, RetroArch is also a strong choice. It supports lots of systems, has cool extras like rewind and net-play, and works on almost every device. And if you’re on a Mac, OpenEmu is perfect, super clean and user-friendly.

(I know how to remove the 30-second wait so just ask me for it)

30 secs are up

Release 1.3.0 · Rosalie241/PJ64Launcher

works with project64/project64@4354ff8

github.com

Post automatically merged: Aug 21, 2025

v1.1.4 https://github.com/gopher64/gopher64/releases

Post automatically merged: Aug 21, 2025

I'm sure OP doesn't want to be in "plugin hell"

Releases · ares-emulator/ares

ares is a cross-platform, open source, multi-system emulator, focusing on accuracy and preservation. - ares-emulator/ares

github.com

Releases · Rosalie241/RMG

Rosalie's Mupen GUI. Contribute to Rosalie241/RMG development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

Releases · gopher64/gopher64

Highly compatible N64 emulator. Contribute to gopher64/gopher64 development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

Post automatically merged: Aug 21, 2025

Indeed, it seems that’s the case. Let me explain:
I have a PC with an i7-3770 / RX580 that I rarely use—mostly just for browsing the web. It’s my old gaming rig. To save time, I tested the emulator directly on it, since DuckStation (a PS1 emulator) runs fine on the same CPU, and I figured an N64 emulator from the same era would work too. After reading your comment, I switched to my new machine—a Ryzen 5 / RTX 3050—and it booted on the first try. I haven’t tested any games yet, so I’ll reserve final judgment until then.

Your system should meet the requirement depending on which cpu & gpu you have

System Requirements

Highly compatible N64 emulator. Contribute to gopher64/gopher64 development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

 

[petran79]

to avoid the nagging 30 second message, force quit pj64 and click it again.