ZX-SPECTRUM instant all-in pack

Instant ZX-SPECTRUM - best emulators, software collection, ZXBOX VM build

ZX-SPECTRUM instant all-in pack

A currated collection of best emulators, programming books and software. All you need to spend time on a desert island.

Online

Try jVGS or Qaop emulators online.

Top ZX-SPECTRUM emulators

Host OS Emulator Source code Last updated Author Supported file formats
Crossplatform USP - Unreal Speccy Portable fork C++ git snapshot v0.0.86.12 2020 djdron, scor TRD, FDI, TD0, SCL, UDI, SP, SNA, Z80, TAP, TZX, CSW, SZX, RZX
Windows Unreal Speccy v0.39 C++ git v0.37 snapshot v0.39 2019 SMT, Dexus, Alone Coder, Deathsoft TRD, FDI, TD0, SCL, UDI, SP, SNA, Z80, TAP, TZX, CSW
Crossplatform Fuse v1.5.7 linux and win32 C++ snapshot v1.5.7 from git 2018 Fuse Team Z80, SNA, SZX, PZX, TAP, TZX, DSK, UDI, FDI, TD0, MGT, IMG, D40, D80, SAD, TRD, SCL, OPD
Crossplatform JVGS v1.1.4 JavaScript WANTED 2016 Epsiloncool TRD, SCL, TAP, TZX, Z80, ROM
Crossplatform Qaop/JS v1.4 JavaScript WANTED 2012 Jan Bobrowski TAP, Z80, SNA, ROM, SCR
DOS x128 v0.94 C++ snapshot 2002 James McKay TRD, FDI, FDD, SCL, Z80, SNA, SLT, VOC, TZX, BLX
DOS r80 v0.30 C++ WANTED 2000 Raul Gomez Sanchez TRD, FDI, TAP, SNA, Z80, TZX, SLT, SCL
DOS Spectrum 128K v3.05 C++ snapshot 1999 Nikolay Shalaev TRD, FDI, TD0 TAP, TZX

ZXBOX VM

ZXBOX is an Ubuntu 20.04 Virtualbox VM with preinstalled emulators and over 10Gb of ZX Spectrum software.

Download ZXBOX VM from vagrant cloud or build from sources.

Ubuntu has enabled autologin with default vagrant user vagrant with password vagrant

ZXBOX VM contents
Nested emulation layers structure

| Layer #3 - Z80 Emulation | USP, Fuse | Unreal Speccy | x128, r80, Shalaev | |:—| :—: |—|:—:| | Layer #2 - Crossplatform | | wine (Windows on Linux) | dosbox (MSDOS on Linux) | | Layer #1 - Common VM OS | -//- | Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop | -//- | | HOST OS - VirtualBox | -//- | any OS capable of running VirtualBox | -//- |

HOWTO Start

Any platform

Open in web browser jVGS or use command line jvgs.sh) or Qaop.

Then open image from your local file system. (with Google Chrome use google-chrome --allow-file-access-from-files)

Linux

Build from sources and start Unreal Speccy Portable

linux-usp.sh

Install from packages and start Fuse

linux-fuse.sh

Start UnrealSpeccy with wine

wine-unrealspeccy.sh

Windows

Start UnrealSpeccy

win-unrealspeccy.bat

DOS or any OS that has dosbox emulation layer

Start r80 via dosbox

dosbox-r80.sh

Start Shalaev via dosbox

dosbox-shalaev.sh

Start x128 via dosbox

dosbox-x128.sh
Action Unreal Speccy USP Fuse r80 x128 Shalaev
Open image F3 Escape/ Open F3 F8, F4 F12, F5  
Reset F12, Ctrl-F12 F12 F5 F2 F3 F3, F4
Hardware settings Shift-F4, Shift-F7   F9, F4 F2, F12 F3,F4,F11, Shift-F11  
Exit Alt-F4 Alt-F4 F10 F10 F10 Escape, Alt-X
Menu   Escape F1 F1 F1 Escape

USP notes

To build from sources on debian linux:

sudo apt install cmake g++ libcurl4-openssl-dev libsdl2-dev

git clone https://bitbucket.org/djdron/unrealspeccyp.git usp
cd usp/build/cmake && mkdir build && cd build

cmake .. -DUSE_SDL2=ON -DUSE_SDL=OFF -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
make -j4

cp -r ../../../res .
./unreal_speccy_portable

Checkout BROWSE WEB option in Main Menu for huge online software catalog maintained by vtrd.in community.

UX NOTE: change JOYSTICK option from KEMPSTON to CURSOR in order to TRDOS menu to work

CREDITS