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Systems

A system is a category used by Core to group scanned media together, which is used to help matching with launchers and when writing ZapScript commands.

Generally, a system will refer to a console or computer system, but can be used for any media type. Each platform has its own set of supported systems, based on the launchers it has available.

System IDs are case-insensitive and are used in configuration files and ZapScript commands. Below is a complete reference of all available systems organized by category.

Game Consoles

System IDNameAliasesFallbacks
3DO3DO
3DSNintendo 3DS
Atari2600Atari 2600Atari7800
Atari5200Atari 5200
Atari7800Atari 7800Atari2600
AtariXEGSAtari XEGS
ChannelFFairchild Channel F
ColecoVisionColecoVisionColecoSG1000
DreamcastSega Dreamcast
FDSFamicom Disk SystemFamicomDiskSystem
GameCubeNintendo GameCube
GenesisSega Genesis/Mega DriveMegaDrive
IntellivisionIntellivision
JaguarAtari Jaguar
JaguarCDAtari Jaguar CDJaguar
MasterSystemSega Master SystemSMS
MegaCDSega CD/Mega CDSegaCDGenesis
NESNintendo NES
NESMusicNES MusicNES
Nintendo64Nintendo 64N64
Odyssey2Magnavox Odyssey²
OuyaOuya
PCFXPC-FX
PS2PlayStation 2Playstation2
PS3PlayStation 3Playstation3
PS4PlayStation 4Playstation4
PS5PlayStation 5Playstation5
PSXSony PlayStationPlaystation, PS1
SaturnSega Saturn
Sega32XSega 32XS32X, 32X
SeriesXSXbox Series X/SSeriesX, SeriesS
SG1000Sega SG-1000ColecoVision
SNESSuper NintendoSuperNintendo
SNESMSU1SNES MSU-1MSU1, MSU-1SNES
SNESMusicSNES MusicSNES
SuperGrafxSuperGrafxTurboGrafx16
SwitchNintendo SwitchNintendoSwitch
TurboGrafx16TurboGrafx-16/PC EngineTGFX16, PCEngineSuperGrafx
TurboGrafx16CDTurboGrafx-16 CD/PC Engine CDTGFX16-CD, PCEngineCDTurboGrafx16
VC4000Interton VC 4000
VectrexVectrex
VirtualBoyVirtual Boy
WiiNintendo WiiNintendoWii
WiiUNintendo Wii UNintendoWiiU
XboxXbox
Xbox360Xbox 360
XboxOneXbox One

Handheld Systems

System IDNameAliasesFallbacks
AdventureVisionEntex Adventure VisionAVision
AtariLynxAtari Lynx
GamateGamate
GameboyNintendo Game BoyGB
Gameboy2PGame Boy (2 Player)
GameboyColorGame Boy ColorGBCGameboy
GameComTiger Game.com
GameGearSega Game GearGG
GameNWatchGame & Watch
GBAGame Boy AdvanceGameboyAdvance
GBA2PGame Boy Advance (2 Player)
MegaDuckMega Duck
NDSNintendo DSNintendoDS
NeoGeoPocketNeo Geo Pocket
NeoGeoPocketColorNeo Geo Pocket ColorNeoGeoPocket
PocketChallengeV2WonderSwan Pocket Challenge V2
PokemonMiniPokémon Mini
PSPPlayStation PortablePlaystationPortable
SuperGameboySuper Game BoySGBGameboy
SuperVisionWatara SuperVision
VitaPlayStation VitaPSVita
WonderSwanWonderSwan
WonderSwanColorWonderSwan ColorWonderSwan

Computer Systems

System IDNameAliasesFallbacks
AcornAtomAcorn Atom
AcornElectronAcorn Electron
AliceMC10Alice MC-10
AmigaCommodore AmigaMinimigAmiga500, Amiga1200
Amiga500Amiga 500A500Amiga
Amiga1200Amiga 1200A1200Amiga
AmigaCD32Amiga CD32Amiga
AmstradAmstrad CPC
AmstradPCWAmstrad PCWAmstrad-PCW
ApogeeApogee BK-01
AppleIApple IApple-I
AppleIIApple IIApple-II
AquariusMattel Aquarius
ArcadiaEmerson Arcadia 2001
AstrocadeBally Astrocade
Atari800Atari 8-bit computers
AtariSTAtari ST
BBCMicroBBC Micro
BK0011MElektronika BK-0011M
C16Commodore 16
C64Commodore 64
CasioPV1000Casio PV-1000Casio_PV-1000
CasioPV2000Casio PV-2000Casio_PV-2000
CDIPhilips CD-iCD-i
CoCo2TRS-80 Color Computer 2
ColecoAdamColeco Adam
CommanderX16Commander X16
CreatiVisionCreatiVision
DOSMS-DOSao486, MS-DOSPC
EDSACEDSAC
FM7Fujitsu FM-7
FMTownsFM Towns
GalaksijaGalaksija
InteractInteract Home Computer
JupiterJupiter Ace
LaserLaser 310Laser310
Lynx48Camputers Lynx
MacOSmacOS
MacPlusMacintosh Plus
MSXMSXMSX1, MSX2
MSX1MSX1MSX
MSX2MSX2MSX
MultiCompMultiComp
OraoOrao
OricOric
PCPCDOS, Windows
PC88NEC PC-8801
PC98NEC PC-9801
PCXTIBM PC XT
PDP1PDP-1
PET2001Commodore PET
PMD85PMD 85
QLSinclair QL
RX78Bandai RX-78
SAMCoupeSAM Coupé
ScummVMScummVM
SordM5Sord M5Sord M5
SpecialistSpecialist MXSPMX
SVI328Spectravideo SVI-328
TatungEinsteinTatung Einstein
TI994ATI-99/4ATI-99_4A
TomyTutorTomy Tutor
TRS80TRS-80
TSConfTS-Configuration
UK101UK101
Vector06CVector-06CVector06
VIC20Commodore VIC-20
WindowsWindowsWin32, Win16PC
X1Sharp X1
X68000Sharp X68000
ZX81Sinclair ZX81
ZXNextZX Spectrum Next
ZXSpectrumZX SpectrumSpectrum

Arcade Systems

System IDNameAliasesFallbacks
ArcadeArcade/MAMEMAME
AtomiswaveAtomiswave
CPS1Capcom Play System 1
CPS2Capcom Play System 2
CPS3Capcom Play System 3
DAPHNEDAPHNE (Laserdisc)LaserDisc
Model3Sega Model 3
NAOMISega NAOMI
NAOMI2Sega NAOMI 2
NeoGeoSNK Neo Geo
NeoGeoCDNeo Geo CDNeoGeo

Other Systems

System IDNameAliasesFallbacks
AndroidAndroid
ArduboyArduboy
AudioAudio Files
Chip8CHIP-8
GameMasterGame Master
GamePocketGame Pocket
GP32GP32
GroovyGroovy
iOSiOS
MovieMovie Files
MusicMusic Files
Pico8PICO-8
TIC80TIC-80
TVTV Shows
VideoVideo Files

Usage Notes

  • System IDs are case-insensitive when used in configuration files and ZapScript commands
  • Aliases: Many systems have alternative names that can be used interchangeably (e.g., Genesis and MegaDrive, GB for Gameboy, N64 for Nintendo64)
  • Fallbacks: Some systems can fall back to compatible systems when launchers aren't available (e.g., Game Boy Color games can fallback to Game Boy, Sega CD can fallback to Genesis)
  • Not all systems are supported on every platform - check the launchers documentation for platform-specific support
  • System defaults can be configured in your configuration file
  • Systems are used in ZapScript commands for launching specific system types

Examples

# Using system IDs in configuration - case doesn't matter
[[systems.default]]
system = "SNES" # Same as "snes" or "Snes"
launcher = "retroarch"

[[systems.default]]
system = "genesis" # Can also use alias "megadrive"
launcher = "retroarch"