CHIP-8 Emulator (C++ / SDL3)

A simple CHIP-8 emulator written in C++ using SDL3 for graphics and input. The emulator implements the standard CHIP-8 instruction set and runs classic ROMs such as Pong, Invaders, and Tetris.

---

---

Requirements

• Linux (tested on Arch Linux)
• g++ (C++ compiler)
• pkg-config
• SDL3

---

Install Dependencies

On Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S sdl3

Verify SDL3 installation:

pkg-config --modversion sdl3

---

Project Structure

CHIP8-emulator/
├── src/
│   ├── main.cpp
│   ├── chip8.cpp
│   └── chip8.h
├── roms/
│   ├── invaders.c8
│   ├── pong2.c8
│   └── tetris.c8
└── README.md

---

Build

From the project root directory:

g++ src/main.cpp src/chip8.cpp -o chip8 `pkg-config --cflags --libs sdl3`

---

Run

Run the emulator by passing a CHIP-8 ROM file:

./chip8 roms/invaders.c8

Other examples:

./chip8 roms/pong2.c8
./chip8 roms/tetris.c8

---

Controls (CHIP-8 Keypad Mapping)

1 2 3 4        →  1 2 3 C
Q W E R        →  4 5 6 D
A S D F        →  7 8 9 E
Z X C V        →  A 0 B F

ESC → Quit emulator

---

Notes

• Emulator core is independent of SDL.
• Display resolution is 64×32, scaled for visibility.
• ROMs are loaded starting at memory address 0x200.
• Fontset is loaded at memory address 0x50.
• Detailed comments are provided for all CHIP-8 opcodes to explain instruction behavior and implementation logic.

---

Helpful Resources

The following references were used while implementing the emulator:

• https://multigesture.net/articles/how-to-write-an-emulator-chip-8-interpreter/
• https://multigesture.net/wp-content/uploads/mirror/goldroad/chip8.shtml
• http://devernay.free.fr/hacks/chip8/C8TECH10.HTM#3.0

---

Public Domain ROMs

Public domain CHIP-8 games can be found here:

• https://www.zophar.net/pdroms/chip8/chip-8-games-pack.html

---

License

This project is intended for educational use. ROM licenses depend on their respective authors.