Box64 Emulator Supports Gaming on RISC-V Platforms
The x86_64 emulator Box64 now supports gaming on RISC-V platforms, opening the door to simplistic games like Stardew Valley running natively on the Vision Five 2 board. Previously, these types of games would run via chroot environments or similar methods, but the latest version of Box64 improves performance significantly, allowing them to run natively on the SiFive SoC.
Improved Performance on RISC-V Systems
Box64 version 0.2.4 brings significant performance improvements to RISC-V systems, with dynarec now working on RISC-V, which speeds up operations of x86_64 Linux software considerably.
This is particularly exciting for the Vision Five 2, since it means you could theoretically play games like Stardew Valley natively on the SiFive SoC. The Vision Five 2 motherboards are aimed primarily at software developers, but it’s still a breakthrough to see a game like Stardew Valley working on the device.
The Box64 0.2.4 release also includes fixes for Steam, enhanced multi-threading capabilities, and broader emulation improvements across CPU architectures. You can read the full changelog here.
If you’re curious to see the RISC-V performance improvements for yourself, you can download Box64 version 0.2.4 here.
Alternatively, you can check out our overview of the Vision Five 2 motherboard, which we think is one of the most exciting developments in the DIY PC scene in a long time.
Here’s a rundown of the other best x86_64 emulator for Linux:
While gaming on the Vision Five 2 might be a bit much, running games like Stardew Valley is a big step for the product, and it serves as a good reminder that you never know what you might be able to get working on your favourite piece of hardware.
