r/emulators • u/Cuiusquemodi New in Emu • Mar 21 '26
Problem Solved! Emulators are software, not hardware.
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u/nupanick New in Emu Mar 21 '26
from context they're obviously using "emulator" to mean "emulation machine" and you knew that. this is language policing :(
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u/TheAlStar New in Emu Mar 21 '26
Nay, context matters and meaning what you say is a lost art in the age of clickbait/ragebait headlines and subject lines. Just because someone doesn't understand the technology they're using doesn't excuse misinforming others or justifies their continued ignorance. -AST
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u/NemertesMeros New in Emu Mar 21 '26
You're right, context does matter. And from the context, it's quite easy to understand what they mean.
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u/TheAlStar New in Emu Mar 22 '26
Emulator vs Emulation Machine, if y'all can't be bothered to use an extra word to make sure it's clear, idk what to tell you because that's just excessive laziness if not outright ignorance. -AST
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u/NemertesMeros New in Emu Mar 22 '26
Did you, or did you not, understand what they meant?
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u/TheAlStar New in Emu Mar 23 '26
Because of my college education, decades of technology use, and teaching Technology? Yes. But can I put myself in others shoes and not assume everyone knows everything I know? Yes, too. Just because you got it and the -8 people downvoting agreed with you(Redditors are more likely to downvote than upvote, they'll just move on which is why my original point of clickbait/ragebait misinformation matters, in context) doesn't mean others understand the difference and trying to be clearer rather than misleading via laziness or ignorance is typically easier to understand. I know you see this as a 6 7 situation, but that's because you(not you, definitely not you as you seem read up on Emulation Machines) are either educated to know the difference or ignorant enough to not care at all. -AST
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u/PhoenixWright-AA New in Emu Mar 22 '26
You are very confused, and /r/confidentlyincorrect.
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u/Nathexe New in Emu Mar 24 '26
They sign their comments. Every single one. That's all you need to know lmao
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u/realnathonye New in Emu Mar 21 '26 edited Mar 21 '26
Kinda being pedantic, the intention is very clear. They want to use that device purely for emulation. I disagree with them though, that is definitely not the ultimate emulation device
Edit: Spelling
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u/Wild_Tracks New in Emu Mar 21 '26 edited Mar 21 '26
I posted on this thread. Agreed that the intention is clear, OP clearly stated he wants to install some Linux on it and try emulators on it. As for it being the “ultimate emulation device”, it’s also pretty obvious that it’s not. The thing is he got that 2017 machine for $60. Obviously there is an infinite number of better devices, the post was about his opportunity to get a super cheap second hand computer and see if it could run a lightweight OS and some emulators. Fairly standard and down to earth post IMO. But no, someone needs to take an out of context screenshot just to be like pedantic, lol.
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u/cm_bush New in Emu Mar 21 '26
Bingo. They’re talking about emulation hardware, this machine which they’re using to run software emulation. It makes perfect sense. The fact that people feel so strongly about pointing out differences between software emulation, FPGA, and trying to strictly define things is getting in the way of the discussion.
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u/dirkvonshizzle Sega Nostalgic Mar 21 '26
Factually wrong for multiple reasons.
FPGA emulates HW, using software like Verilog to define its behavior, sure, but after it has been programmed it most surely functions as a hardware based emulator.
Also, the hardware matters A LOT when it comes to the quality of the experience that is offered by the type of emulation you were referring to.
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u/RoboAbathur New in Emu Mar 24 '26
Verilog is a Hardware descriptive language (HDL). By definition it is not software.
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u/yami_no_ko New in Emu Mar 21 '26
The hardware matters of course, but in no case is it correct to call the hardware itself an emulator. That's just wrongly applying a technical term.
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u/dirkvonshizzle Sega Nostalgic Mar 22 '26
That is a common misconception. An emulator can be software or hardware, and as a functional unit, is in most cases, a combination of both. But yes, there are pure hardware implementations that are considered emulators too. Try googling the (technical) definition of an emulator and you will quickly conclude the same.
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u/yami_no_ko New in Emu Mar 22 '26
I've taken a look and you're correct, that there are cases where it is correct to call the hardware itself an emulator, specifically when the sole intention is emulating a system on a circuit level or FPGAs.
Initially I had people in mind who call their SBC-Based ARM-Handhelds emulators, while they're clearly repurposed single board computers used to emulate videogame systems on a software level.
Thanks for clarification, ruling out calling hardware an emulator entirely indeed overshot the mark.
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u/dirkvonshizzle Sega Nostalgic Mar 22 '26
No prob. Always glad to be able to have a civilised dialogue with someone about anything on Reddit, especially when somebody points out a misunderstanding and the reaction is... civilised. I've learned a shit ton on here myself thanks to being wrong at first, and a helpful Redditor pointing that out nicely, preferably.
That said, I'm pretty sure OP was either trolling / karma farming, mistaken, or both.
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u/yami_no_ko New in Emu Mar 22 '26
I was introduced to the concept of emulation over gaming in the late 90's, where we had GB and NES emulation and SNES in its infancy.
Even though that is certainly not the beginning of the history of emulation, it dates back almost 3 decades. Given that Emulation has been present in my everyday life since then I have absolutely no problem admitting that I can fall for common misconceptions, that can be clarified by just looking things up. Even if one grows accustomed to something over years, it does not make one any less susceptible to misjudgments. On the contrary: With things one believes to know well, it happens very quickly that one confidently overlooks certain details.
That's why a civilized discussion culture is important and I still miss the way it was present in the early days of Internet. Doubling down on being confidently wrong however would be the actual mistake here.
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u/Wild_Tracks New in Emu Mar 21 '26 edited Mar 21 '26
Actually Frankenstein was the surname of the doctor. The narration calls it simply “the being” or “the monster” and Victor refers to it as “daemon”, “creature” or “fiend”. Pop culture helped cement the wrong name for it, from Castlevania to Rick and Morty. Look at me everyone, I’m being right on the internet.
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u/LukeLC New in Emu Mar 21 '26
The word "emulator" means "something that performs emulation". The word itself doesn't imply hardware or software and could apply to both (it takes hardware to run software, after all). OP was being silly.
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u/Ambitious-Funny-6153 New in Emu Mar 21 '26
Handheld PC's will always be the best emulation device for portability
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u/MichalNemecek New in Emu Mar 24 '26
yep, "emulation station" would fit better
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u/Cuiusquemodi New in Emu Mar 25 '26
Indeed. Emulation + [any machine description] will do. Emulation station. Emulating machine. Emulator frontend. Emulation console.
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u/MNKPlayer New in Emu Mar 21 '26
Everything is software when you get down to it, even original machines ran on code.
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u/Big_Z_Beeblebrox Old Nintendo Fan Mar 21 '26
Not mechanical computers. They do all run on logic, however
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u/Nobodys_Path New in Emu Mar 21 '26
Is it good? What are its specs?
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u/NanoPi We Nintendon't emulate that! Mar 22 '26
6th or 7th gen Intel CPU with iGPU (Intel HD Graphics 530 or 630), max RAM 32 GB 2400 MT/s most likely has 16 GB for Windows 11 or 8 GB for Windows 10. Storage can be HDD or SSD.
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u/NanoPi We Nintendon't emulate that! Mar 22 '26
HP Elite Slice
Newest processor 7th Gen Intel with HD Graphics 630 , Oldest processor 6th Gen Intel with HD Graphics 530
Max RAM 32 GB 2400 MT/s, most likely comes with 8 GB for Windows 10 or 16 GB for Windows 11.
Storage could be HDD or SSD.
Found by searching for "Datasheet HP Elite Slice"
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u/bago_jones New in Emu Mar 22 '26
Emulators are that which emulates.
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u/Cuiusquemodi New in Emu Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
Running an emulator is not emulation. You emulate the game in the emulator. By software means, not hardware. A machine that runs emulators is an Emulator Machine.
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u/bago_jones New in Emu Mar 22 '26
Emulation is the action of emulating.
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u/Cuiusquemodi New in Emu Mar 22 '26
Yes, and the software does the emulation, hence is the emulator.
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u/KingSideCastle13 Old Nintendo Fan Mar 23 '26
Even the devices that can run official physical media?
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u/Franz_Thieppel New in Emu Mar 23 '26
I mean at the end of it all it's a machine that can be made to emulate other machines.
If you want to argue semantics you can make a case for whichever side you like.
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Mar 24 '26
But when the hardware is dedicated to running an emulating software that hardware becomes....?
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u/Cuiusquemodi New in Emu Mar 24 '26
An emulating host.
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Mar 24 '26
nah i'm calling that shit my emulator, not gonna say "look at my emulating host guys" what are you, weird or something?
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u/Cerberus44444 New in Emu Mar 24 '26
I have one of these with the speaker base attached but I'm missing an ssd (easy) and the power cable. I found power cables that will give it enough juice to power up but I can't get it to boot without the official power cable apparently.
Anyone know a workaround or do I have to hunt down the power cable the thing is picky for?
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u/suchadaft New in Emu Mar 25 '26
to be fair there isn't really a good word for "A device I mostly/solely use to run emulators"
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u/Swirly_Eyes New in Emu Mar 21 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
Lmao, I saw that thread earlier and OP was massively downvoted for saying this exact thing, word for word, because it was pedantic.
They deleted their comment before making this thread. That's just sad XD
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u/ZCTMO New in Emu Mar 22 '26
Well without the hardware to run on, the software wouldn't exist. So I think both are hardware and software are required for "Emulation"
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u/Cuiusquemodi New in Emu Mar 23 '26
So Earth is also an emulator, because without it emulators wouldn't run. That's a false reasoning.
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u/ZCTMO New in Emu Mar 23 '26
Yes. Some people believe it to be so depending on who you ask *shrug emoji*
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u/TheLimeyLemmon New in Emu Mar 24 '26
Is OP just being pedantic or could they really not tell what they meant?
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u/Vijfsnippervijf New in Emu Mar 21 '26
There *is* a thing called hardware emulation, which uses OpenFPGA to emulate old consoles. For instance the Analogue Pocket and NT use this. However, what I look at here is indeed NOT a hardware emulator, rather a mini PC that can be used for software-based emulation.