Orbiter is an immersive NES emulator, introspector, and debugger for Windows, focused on providing a bad-ass debugging experience.
We don't just want to debug the machine. We want to see it breathe, hear its heartbeat, and feel its tender pulses.
The emulator and debugger grew together, so introspection is not an attachment: it is the point. Orbiter combines game playback with live disassembly, CPU and PPU inspection, execution-flow visualization, profiling, rewind, screenshots, video capture, and a persistent game library.
This is an early prerelease. Emulator compatibility is still a work in progress, and you should keep a copy of any library data you care about.
- Extract the complete archive to a writable folder. Do not run Orbiter directly from the ZIP or install it under a read-only directory.
- Run
Orbiter.exe. - Press
Ctrl+Oto import an iNES.nesfile. - Press
F5to run or pause the game. - Press
Tabto open or close the game library.
Orbiter does not include game ROMs. Only use ROM images you are legally permitted to use.
| Input | Key |
|---|---|
| D-pad | Arrow keys or WASD |
| A | Z |
| B | X |
| Start | C |
| Select | V |
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Run or pause | F5 |
| Step one instruction | F10 (hold to repeat) |
| Rewind / advance timeline | Ctrl+Left / Ctrl+Right |
| Reset | Ctrl+R |
| Save / restore the active resume point | Ctrl+S / Ctrl+L |
| Dump the current program | Ctrl+K |
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Show controls | F1 |
| Toggle game library | Tab |
| Import ROM | Ctrl+O |
| Video / Program / CPU | 1 / 2 / 3 |
| Profiler / Execution Flow / CHR Map | 4 / 5 / 6 |
| Split the focused panel | Ctrl+H / Ctrl+V |
| Close the focused panel | Ctrl+Q |
| Increase / decrease UI font size | Ctrl++ / Ctrl+- |
| Reset UI font size | Ctrl+0 |
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Toggle fullscreen | F11 or Alt+Enter |
| Toggle game-view fullscreen | F |
| Leave game-view fullscreen | Esc |
| Toggle CRT effect | F7 |
| Mute | M |
| Raise / lower volume | Ctrl+Up / Ctrl+Down |
| Take game screenshot | F8 |
| Start / stop game GIF capture | Shift+F8 |
| Take application screenshot | F9 |
| Toggle UI debug bounds | F6 |
Screenshots and game captures are written to the data directory. The active game
is also saved when switching games and when Orbiter exits normally.
- Windows 8 or newer, x64
- iNES cartridges using mapper 0 (NROM), 1 (MMC1), 2 (UxROM), or 9 (MMC2)
- Trainers and four-screen mirroring are not currently supported
Unsupported or malformed cartridges are rejected rather than partially loaded.
Orbiter currently builds with Clang on Windows. From an x64 Developer Command Prompt, run:
build.batOrbiter stores its library, saves, configuration, logs, screenshots, and
captures in the data directory beside the executable. The distributed archive
contains none of those user files. The prerelease executable is unsigned, so
Windows may show a security warning on first launch.
Orbiter is licensed under the MIT License. See THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md for the
software and assets it uses.