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Glossary

Here are some common terms and concepts related to emulation that you may encounter as you explore the world of emulation:

  • Emulation: The process of mimicking the behavior of one system on another.
  • Emulator: A software program that replicates the hardware and software of the original system, allowing you to run programs or games designed for that system on a different platform.
  • ROM (Read-Only Memory): A file that contains the data from a video game, typically dumped from physical cartridges. Can also refer to ISO files for disc-based games.
  • ISO (International Organization for Standardization): A file that contains a digital copy of an optical disc, such as a CD or DVD, used for consoles that relied on discs.
  • BIOS (Basic Input/Output System): A firmware that initializes hardware during the booting process of a console. Some emulators require the original BIOS to function properly.
  • Driver: Software that allows the operating system to communicate with hardware devices. Some emulators may require specific drivers to function correctly.
  • Firmware: Software that is permanently stored in a hardware device, to control its functions. Some emulators may require the original firmware to function properly.
  • ROM dumping: The process of extracting the data from a physical game cartridge or disc and creating a digital copy of it, which can then be used with emulators.
  • Dump: The end product of the ROM dumping process, which is either a ROM file (for cartridges) or an ISO file (for discs).
  • ROM hacking: The process of modifying a video game ROM to change its content.
  • Patch: A file that contains the differences between an original ROM and a modified ROM, which can be applied to the original ROM to create the modified version without needing to distribute the entire modified ROM.
  • Translation patch: A sub-genre of ROM hacks, dedicated to translating a game that was never released in certain regions, or to fix translation errors in an existing release.
  • Libretro: A standardized API for emulation cores, which allows different emulators to be used within a single frontend, such as RetroArch.
  • Core: An emulation module that implements the features and behavior of a specific console or system, which can be used within a frontend like RetroArch through the Libretro API.
  • Frontend: A software interface that allows users to interact with multiple emulation cores, or multiple emulators, in a unified way.
  • Open source: A type of software license that allows anyone to view, modify, and distribute the source code of a program.