CHIP-8 Emulator
Build a full CHIP-8 emulator from scratch in modern C++ with zero external dependencies. You emulate the CPU registers, memory, stack, and timers, decode and execute every opcode, and render the monochrome display to the terminal. A deep dive into how a virtual machine fetches, decodes, and runs instructions.
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What You'll Build
A working CHIP-8 emulator that loads real ROMs, runs the full opcode set with accurate timing, draws sprites to a terminal-rendered display, and reads keypad input.
Learning Objectives
- Model CPU state with registers, memory, stack, and program counter
- Implement a fetch-decode-execute cycle over 16-bit opcodes
- Decode opcodes with bit masking and a dispatch structure
- Emulate the delay and sound timers with std::chrono
- Implement XOR sprite drawing and collision detection into a framebuffer
- Render the display and map keypad input in the terminal
- Load ROM bytes into emulated memory from a binary file
Coming Soon
This project is in development. Register your interest and we'll email you the moment it goes live.
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Coming Soon
This project is in development. Register your interest and we'll email you the moment it goes live.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.