cemu-project/Cemu

Overview

Cemu is an open-source emulator that runs most Wii U games and homebrew in a playable state. It is written in C/C++ and is actively developed. The project targets players and homebrew users who want to run Wii U software on a PC, and developers who want to build the emulator from source or contribute to it.

Cemu is the code repository only; the emulator binary, compatibility information and community support are distributed separately through the links below.

Download and run

1. Pick the build for your platform (64-bit Windows, Linux or macOS). Windows has both an installer and a portable format that only needs to be extracted to a safe place.
2. Download the latest release from GitHub Releases. Linux users can also install Cemu from Flathub.
3. Follow the setup guide to configure the emulator, then load a game. Check the compatibility list before trying a title.

Pre-2.0 releases are listed on the changelog page.

Build from source

To compile Cemu yourself on Windows, Linux or macOS, follow BUILD.md. The repository also publishes its build workflow status through GitHub Actions.

Constraints

• Only 64-bit Windows, Linux and macOS are currently supported.
• The native macOS build is experimental: it is not considered stable, and ARM Macs have known performance issues from MoltenVK and Rosetta.
• Some bundled dependencies and individual source files are covered by their own licenses rather than MPL-2.0; the relevant file headers specify the terms.
• Cemu is licensed under MPL-2.0.

HotRepo's take

Cemu's only recorded HotRepo snapshot is 2026-11-09 on the C++ daily list, when it ranked 5th and gained 11 stars, with 10,118 stars and 1,063 forks in total. That single data point shows the project still holds a top-five position in its language list on that day, but it is not enough to judge a longer trend. The value here is the emulator itself: a mature, actively maintained codebase whose builds, documentation and compatibility data are distributed through the project's own channels.