Commander X16 release 49 arrives with technical improvements and new options for developers. This update marks a milestone for the retro computing project. The Commander X16 community now enjoys new emulator features, better hardware accuracy, and some handy developer tools.
What’s New in Commander X16 Release 49
The team fixed both small bugs and advanced emulation issues in Commander X16 release 49. The emulator now shows warnings if you try to read from write-only registers or write to read-only ones in the VERA video and audio chip. VERA emulation now matches real hardware more closely. The update corrects 8-bit-per-pixel sprite issues and improves the PSG sound generator. Graphics and sound now behave like the actual X16 hardware.
Emulator and Hardware Improvements
Commander X16 release 49 makes the VERA’s SPI interface match the hardware’s busy timing. The team also improved VIA chip flag handling for more accurate input and output. The SD card now supports READ_MULTIPLE_BLOCK, so more software works as intended. HostFS, the system linking the emulated X16 with your computer’s files, now runs faster. Extra filesystem operations now match real X16 storage commands.
You can now use serial MIDI emulation via FluidSynth for music projects. The emulator exits reliably with Alt+F4, and clipboard features now work more smoothly.
Click here for the latest release of the emulator.
GS Mode and 65C816 Support
This release adds a GS mode for the future Commander X16 GS, which will use a 24-bit address bus and the 65C816 processor. Commander X16 release 49 lets developers test new code paths with GS mode. Debugger improvements support GS mode and make breakpoints easier to use.
The emulator source code now uses C11, which cleans up syntax and headers. The web-based emulator offers more options to change CPU type and speed, so you can tweak software easily.
ROM and Documentation Updates
The ROM for Commander X16 release 49 brings more changes. Compatibility and reliability remain the main goals. The latest documentation covers all features, both new and old. You can find the docs right in the emulator package, so everything comes in one download.
Get Started with Commander X16 Release 49
You can try the new release by downloading the Emulator, ROM, and Docs from the official Commander X16 project on GitHub. Commander X16 release 49 moves the project closer to hardware-accurate emulation while expanding development options. Whether you write software, test programs, or want to experience modern 8-bit computing, this update adds more ways to explore the Commander X16.
