From its first official release in May 2026, AMSpiriT Lite has grown from a Linux port of David MANUEL's Windows emulator into a comprehensive, cross-platform Amstrad CPC emulation suite. What began as three native frontends - SDL2, Qt, and an experimental ImGui variant- has evolved into a robust ecosystem supporting Windows, macOS, Linux, and Raspberry Pi.

Building the Debugger Ecosystem

The past three months alone have been transformative. What sets 1.14 apart is its focus on the developer experience. The BASIC debugger - first landing in 1.10 - now ships with breakpoints, variable inspection, and frame-by-frame stepping. The Z80 debugger offers instruction-level control and memory visualization. The interactive Lua console accepts commands with persistent globals, turning ad-hoc testing into a genuine REPL.

The web server itself is self-documenting: GET /api/doc lists endpoints, GET /api/doc/<name> returns their signatures and response shapes, keeping the documentation runtime-live and in sync with the code. For LLM developers, this is the ideal entry point to connect your AI tools to the emulator. Whether you're building autonomous test harnesses, state inspection workflows, or real-time control systems, the API schema is always current and machine-readable.

Tools for the Community

Beyond the emulator itself, we've released a growing ecosystem of companion tools for developers and enthusiasts:

IDE & API Integration:

• VS Code Extension : Inject Locomotive BASIC programs directly from your editor into a running instance via the web API, turning VS Code into an integrated development environment for CPC BASIC.
• MCP Server : Exposes the web API as tools for LLM clients, enabling AI-assisted debugging and automated test harnesses over the running emulator.

Media & Content:

• Image Container Format and packer (amspak.py) .Bundle CPC media (DSK, SNA, CDT, HFE, IPF) and a description into PNG files in the style of PICO-8 cartridges, ready to drag onto the emulator.

Desktop Debug Tools:

• Debug GUI (amspirit-lite-debug-gui, Python/Tkinter) : A full-featured debugger desktop application with no external dependencies. Offers the same debugging tabs as the web UI (CPU, BASIC, audio, disk, keyboard, heatmap, etc.) over the HTTP REST API, useful for users who prefer a native desktop window to a web browser.
• RAM Search (ram-search) : A Cheat Engine-style memory scanner in a single HTML page. Search for values, filter through gameplay changes, and freeze/write memory addresses in real time to hunt for game variables and easter eggs.

Gratitude to Testers

This milestone owes everything to the testing community. Your reports of audio crackling on macOS, CRTC edge cases, keyboard layout pitfalls on non-QWERTY systems, and hundreds of subtle platform-specific issues have shaped every release. You caught the BASIC tokenizer quirks, the joystick state bugs after reset, the DSK write corruption. Your patience with feature requests and your willingness to isolate regressions made the difference between a hobbyist project and an emulator worthy of its source material.

The early testers of the Raspberry Pi 5 AppImage builds, the Lua scripting sandbox, and the desktop Debug GUI all helped us find blind spots before release. You tested not just the happy path, but the real scenarios: loading obscure disk formats, running BASIC programs with edge-case syntax, switching models mid-game, resizing memory on the fly. Your confidence in the emulator's stability gave us the freedom to ship new features without fear of regressing the core.

Thank you for making AMSpiriT Lite what it is. Whether you're preserving software history, developing new programs, studying Z80 assembly, or simply rediscovering the Amstrad CPC, we're honored to have built the emulator you trust.

Download AMSpiriT Lite 1.14 from the download page. Report bugs, share screenshots, and join us on GitHub and Discord.

We're excited to announce the release of the first public version of AMSpiriT Lite for Linux, and Mac OS (Silicon).

AMSpiriT Lite is not a port—it's a reinterpretation. It shares the same proven emulation core as the original AMSpiriT (Z80, Gate Array, PSG, FDC), but wraps it in a minimalist, experimental philosophy built for Linux, Windows, and macOS.

The result: ultra-precise CPC emulation paired with a flexible, developer-friendly architecture that's open to new ideas. The core is platform-agnostic and intrinsically portable—no graphics, no OS dependencies, just emulation. Everything else is up to you.

What It's Not

AMSpiriT Lite embraces a minimalist philosophy: it strips away configuration dialogs and runtime menus to focus on the core emulation and essential tools. The original AMSpiriT, meanwhile, evolves toward a comprehensive IDE with all the modern conveniences that desktop emulation can offer. Our ambition for the original: a worthy successor to the legendary WinAPE.

Three Flavours

Choose the interface that fits your workflow:

• Qt (amspirit-lite-qt): Classic desktop UI with menus and file dialogs. Recommended for beginners—gives you all the convenience of a traditional application.
• SDL2 (amspirit-lite-sdl): Ultra-lightweight, runs everywhere, instant startup. Same precision, stripped-down interface: drag-and-drop files, control via the built-in web interface (even from your phone). For users who prefer minimalism.
• Libretro (RetroArch): Play CPC alongside your other retro systems. Supports all 6 CPC models (464, 664, 6128, Plus variants, GX4000) in multiple languages. (Experimental—active development ongoing.)

Key Features

Run BASIC Instantly

• Drop a .bas file onto the emulator. Built-in tokenizer transforms text to machine format in milliseconds—no more agonizing auto-type delays.
• Load BASIC files from disk, edit them on your PC, then reload them on the CPC automatically—full bidirectional workflow.

Integrated Web API

• Full control via HTTP endpoints: start/stop emulation, read/write RAM, inject code, autotype...
• Powerful embedded web UI for:
  • BASIC bidirectional: Inject text BASIC and export running programs back to your PC as editable .bas files
  • Live memory access: Hex dump with auto-refresh, write arbitrary code and execute it,
  • Memory heatmap: Watch every RAM access in real-time with address overlays
  • BASIC variables: Monitor all variables in real-time as they change during program execution
  • Virtual Keyboard: Type directly into the CPC, useful for text input without physical keyboard constraints

• You can even user curl or wget to take full control of the emulator!

Scripting Automation

Automate tests, debug workflows, and complex sequences with Lua or CSL scripts : Inject code, insert disks, simulate key presses, wait for frames—all in a script. Modern expressiveness meets proven compatibility.

Supported Media & Models

• Disk images: DSK, HFE, IPF/CAPS formats (not just the basic ones)
• Cassette tapes: CDT, WAV
• Snapshots: SNA
• Scripts and Basic Programs : BAS, LUA, CSL
• ROMs : ROM, CPR, CRO

Automatic reload: Open files are automatically reloaded when modified externally.

Portable Power

• UI is available in French, English, Spanish, German
• Runs on Linux, Windows, macOS (Silicon), and Raspberry Pi 5.
• Embedded documentation: Press F1 inside the SDL and Qt application to get access to a Quick start guide (opens in your web browser)

Get Started

• Download here or on github
• Read the documentations and fill issues on github.
• Join our discord

AMSpiriT Lite grows with its users. We invite you to explore, contribute, and share your ideas. The future of CPC emulation is experimental, flexible, and yours to shape.

Download

• Find latest Releases on github or on our download page
• Required step — do not skip.  AppImages downloaded from the web are not executable by default. Without chmod +x the file will not launch.

chmod +x AMSpiriT-Lite-x86_64.AppImage
./AMSpiriT-Lite-x86_64.AppImage -R /path/to/ROMs

Update 2025/8/3: A new version 2.01 has been released, with many improvements and fixes, thanks to all the feedback we received from the community. This update addresses various bugs reported by our users over the past month and introduces several enhancements, including improvements to the timelapse feature.

We are thrilled to announce that this new version, the result of over a year of dedicated effort, introduces complete and accurate emulation of the Amstrad Plus Models. We have tested a significant number of games and demos available for the Amstrad Plus, and they are running smoothly.

Another exciting feature is the Timelapse function. This allows you to pause the emulation and go backward up to one minute in the past! It's incredibly useful if you want to perfect a game, or save a snapshot at a specific moment.

In addition to reading CSL files, you can now record them in real time.

As always, this update includes numerous bug fixes and improvements in the emulation of Amstrad CPC components. We've incorporated a host of new tests and verified many games and demos to ensure the best experience.

Again, a huge thank you to everyone involved in the project! Your support and kind messages on various forums and Discord servers mean a lot to us. Special thanks to Made for the marvelous illustration, and to Steve Basford for his assistance with the English translation of the User's Guide.

Download

Documentation

Change Log

• Emulation of the CPC Plus range (464, 6128, GX4000)
  • Emulation of all ASIC functions
  • Support for the analog joystick
  • Management of cartridge files (.CPR)
• New timelapse function allowing to go backward
• Support for writing CSL script files
• Automatic detection and reloading when the currently open SNA file is modified on disk. (experimental)
• Support for the MM12 monochrome monitor
• Support for an additional floppy disk drive (B)
• Various fixes for the emulation of CRTCs 0, 1, 2, and 4
• Better CTM emulation
• FDC emulation Improvement
• Optimization of the emulation engine
• Support for keyboard Clash
• Addition of new command-line commands
• Improvement of support for additional ROMs
• Various ergonomic improvements

(Edit 04-29): RC1.01 update. A new version 1.01 is now available with minor UX improvements, better joystick detection, better CDT handling, thanks to your feedback. This release passes the new series of tests available in Shaker 2.6, including some fixes in CRTC 4 (split border)

After 6 years of hard work, starting as one-man-project, AMSpiriT has grown in a way that was completely unexpected for me. Almost 3 years after the first official release, I am now very happy, and proud to announce it's no longer in beta version. This couldn't be possible without the support of many people, especially (in alphabetical order) : BDCIron, Candy, Ced, CheshireCat, DarkSteph, Floboune, Fred (Fugitif) , FredCrazy, Ldir_Hector, Longshot, LordHeavy, Overflow, Ricolaoz, Siko, and Tronic. You've helped me a lot during this journey. Thank you!

Road to 2.0

The next major release of AMSpiriT is going to be a giant leap: it will consist of the complete and accurate emulation of the CPC+ series (including GX4000). I know many people have asked for this, and i want to take the time to make it properly.
In between, me and AMSpiriT team, we'll have a few surprises for you, especially for developers, and other platforms/operating systems users.

Last, but not least, as we have now reached a milestone in term of accuracy, we'll start working on optimizing the code. Accuracy has a cost, but we certainly can do better in term of performances. As you can see, there's still a long road ahead!

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger

If you encounter any issue, or find (or even create) a program not working properly under AMSpiriT (on of course working on a real CPC!) please contact us, or join our community discord server. This is very important! We are spending a lot of time to test many programs, and try to avoid regressions between releases as much as possible, but mistakes can always happen. Only You can help us to create the best CPC emulator ever!

Quick Change Log

• IPF and HFE file formats are now supported.
• Binary files (with AMSDOS header) can be loaded into ram by dragging them onto emulator's window.
• More and better command line options. Common file formats are automatically detected.
• Improved UX and interface
• Extended RAM support, up to 4MB
• Note: "Insert" key has been replaced by "ALT" key for emulating 'COPY' key on CPC keyboard
• Note: Disks are protected by default. It will be changed in next release. You can change this option in configuration page.
• Note: In some (rare) cases, you'll have to select hardware mixer instead of software mixer to get sounds - in particular with digitalized sounds.
• And as always, some bug fixes, including a major AY emulation fix, FDC timings adjustments, and a better handling of a couple of Z80 opcodes.

File Download

...and don't forget: IPF is not a gadget ;)

Minor release, mainly bug fixes, improved CRTC emulation (more Shaker tests passed!) and improved FDC emulation.

This new release, 0.953, brings new features, and as always, a bunch of improvements in hardware emulation.

Some new issues in CRTC emulation were found thanks to Shaker tool, and were fixed based on the precious knowledge found in the CRTC Compendium. Also CTM, FDC and PSG emulations have been improved a lot. E-DSK support has been improved.

SNA support is now working. It is now possible to drag and drop SNA files (V1 and V2 format are supported):

You can drag TXT files, as if you were typing text on the keyboard:

Also, AMSpiriT is implementing SSM and CSL protocols, which are used by Shaker 2.5 for producing result images as shown in Shakerland website. This is an important step, as it will add new automation capabilities, and help to avoid regressions in future developments!

Last thing, but not least, we've started to work on various optimizations. We know AMSpiriT requires a strong configuration - accurate emulation comes at a cost. AMSpiriT can now work either in single or multi threads modes. Depending on your CPU, you can get better performances by choosing the appropriate option.

Download the new release now!

If you want to get in touch with AMSpiriT Team, you're welcome to join our new dedicated Discord Server !

Join the AMSpiriT Discord Server!

Check out the AMSpiriT community on Discord – hang out with 4 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.

Discord

Along with minor fixes in FDC, PSG and CRTC emulation, improvements in External ROM management this version introduces command line arguments to make it easier to start programs:

En plus de divers petits correctifs sur l’émulation du FDC et du CRTC, l'amélioration de la gestion des ROMS additionnelles, ainsi que la correction d’un bug sur l’émulation du PSG, cette version introduit la possibilité de passer des paramètres en ligne de commande.

Par exemple, il est possible de combiner --dsk et --run pour lancer directement un programme sur le disque.

New version, wit a lot of improvements, a new CRTC supported and a major refactor : by separating the emulation core from the GUI, It will make it easier to support other operating systems and integrate the core in other apps/frameworks.

Main features:

• Full CRTC 4 (Pre Asic) Emulation
• Emulation Core is now available as a static library (.lib/.h)
• Extended ROM management
• Better CTM emulation (CSYNC Signal)
• Better HSYNC emulation for CRTCs 0,1 and 2
• CDT Files: Direct Recording

It now emulates perfectly 1 pixel hardware scrolling as demonstrated in shaker tool:

Download Links

Notes de version

• Emulation complète du CRTC type « 4 » (pré-ASIC)
• Ajout de la gestion des ROM additionnels
• Evolution dans l’émulation du CTM (gestion signal CSYNC)
• Export du Core AMSPIRIT dans une librairie dédiée
• Correction de la gestion HSYNC pour les CRTC 0, 1 et 2
• Fichier CDT : Ajout gestion BLOC_ID 0x15: Direct Recording

Despite its 4 years of development, AMSpiriT is far from complete and will continue to evolve, with the priority of achieving the most perfect possible emulation of the different types of CRTC.

The emulation of CRTC types "0", "1" and "2" has now reached a level of accuracy very close to reality. It is not yet 100% perfect, but it is getting very close. The next step in the development of AMSpiriT will be the implementation of accurate emulation of CRTC type "4 - Pre-ASIC".

A CTM monitor emulator is planned for an ever more realistic management of the "distord" effects in particular.

A last big project to finish will be the improvement of the floppy disk/cassette access and the opening to new file formats (SNA in particular).

For the CPC developers that I am starting to work with, improvements will be made in order to be able to port the AMSpiriT Core to alternative platforms other than Windows.

Finally, another big project in the pipeline is the emulation of the CPC "plus" and its proprietary ASIC. A lot of work ahead.

Be patient, the best is yet to come ?

Overall better performances and better CRTC and Gate Array Emulation. More shaker tests pass.

• Improvement in CRTC 0,1 and 2 emulation
• Gate Array :Better management of R52 register
• Better GUI, added english
• Overall optimisation

Evolutions apportés avec cette version:

• Correctifs divers dans l’émulation des CRTC 0, 1 et 2
• Ajustement du timing de mise à jour de R52 (Gate Array)
• Modification d’ergonomique (icones / ajout langue Anglais)
• Optimisation du code