The Atari 8-bit computers, from the Atari 400 and 800 of 1979 to the XL and XE series of the 80s, were very popular in the United States and Eastern Europe. The Atari 5200 console, released in 1982, uses the same hardware, so the same emulators run it.
We have about 1,600 Atari 8-bit games on My Abandonware, and two Atari 5200 games.
Atari 8-bit emulators
Altirra is the best Atari 8-bit emulator, free, but for Windows only. On Mac and Linux, use Atari800. Neither needs any ROM file from you.
- Altirra (Windows): a very accurate emulator of every Atari 8-bit computer and of the 5200, still updated. It comes with its own free versions of the Atari system ROMs and BASIC, so it runs almost everything with no extra file. Recommended.
- Atari800 (Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android as Colleen): an open source emulator of the Atari 8-bit computers and the 5200. It also includes Altirra's free system ROMs. It also exists as a RetroArch core.
MAME runs these machines too, see our page about multi-system emulators.
Running Atari 8-bit games in Altirra
Open the game file with File > Boot Image, or drop it on the Altirra window. The machine restarts and loads the game.
Our game archives hold one of these file types:
- .atr, .atx, .xfd: disk images.
.atxfiles keep the original copy protection, for games that refuse to run from a plain.atr. - .xex, .com: program files, which load directly.
- .cas: tape images. They load slowly, like the real tapes.
- .car, .rom, .bin: cartridge images.
If a game has several disks, the game asks for the next one: open it with File > Attach Disk, then press a key.
BASIC and the XL/XE models
Most games are written in machine language, and fail if BASIC is turned on. Turn BASIC off, or hold the Option key while the machine starts.
On the XL and XE models, BASIC is built in and starts with the machine. A game that crashes or shows a READY prompt often needs BASIC off: turn it off in Altirra's System menu, or hold Option (F4 in Altirra) during the reboot. The opposite is also true: a game written in BASIC needs it on.
Some old games were made for the Atari 400 and 800, and don't run on the XL or XE. If a game fails, switch the model to an 800 in the System menu.
Atari 5200 games
The 5200 is an Atari 8-bit computer turned into a console, with an analog joystick and a keypad. Altirra and Atari800 both run it: choose the 5200 as the machine.
We have Qix and Sinistar for the 5200. 5200 games come as cartridge images (.a52 or .bin). The 5200 controller's joystick was analog: set your gamepad's stick in the emulator's input settings for the best feel.
I need help!
We do not provide support for running abandonware games. The Atari 8-bit community is very active.
Ask on the Atari 8-Bit Computers forum of AtariAge. Atarimania lists almost every Atari game, with notes on the right model and settings. Altirra's help file answers most setup questions.
Checked in October 2026 against each emulator's own documentation and, where it exists, its source code. Game counts and file sizes come from our own catalogue. These guides were drafted with the help of an AI assistant and checked by hand before publishing. If something here is out of date, tell us.