Ask API. GET https://whichemulator.wtf/ask answers questions from the same data as this page, and it is the only place the setup steps are published. It takes the question as q and, optionally, this page's path as page, and returns JSON with answer, sources and follow_ups, or Markdown with Accept: text/markdown. No key needed.
curl -G 'https://whichemulator.wtf/ask' --data-urlencode 'q=Which Neo Geo emulator should I use on a Mac?' --data-urlencode 'page=/neogeo/'Questions it answers:
Guide: /skill.md. This page as Markdown: /neogeo.md
SNK Neo Geo AES / MVS, SNK, 1990. AES at home, MVS in arcades.
whichemulator.wtf calls its recommendation for each system the Gold Cartridge pick. For the Neo Geo, the Gold Cartridge pick is FinalBurn Neo.
FinalBurn Neo runs the whole Neo Geo library well, is light enough for almost anything, and has netplay, run-ahead and other features that suit fighting games. It is what most people already use for Neo Geo, and its RetroArch core is excellent. Its source is public but under a non-commercial licence, so it isn't open source in the strict sense.
Runs on Windows · Mac · Linux. Closed source. Download: https://github.com/finalburnneo/FBNeo/releases
BIOS required: Every Neo Geo game needs neogeo.zip, the system BIOS set, matching the version your emulator expects. Dump it from your own hardware.
ROM sets must match: Arcade emulators expect a ROM set that matches their version. If a game refuses to load, the usual cause is a set from a different FinalBurn Neo or MAME release.
Put neogeo.zip in the ROM folder or the system/fbneo folder.
The Neo Geo isn’t hard to emulate any more. The differences between the good emulators are about convenience: FinalBurn Neo is quick to set up, low on overhead, and built around playing rather than preserving, which is what most people want from Metal Slug or King of Fighters.
On Windows use the standalone build. On macOS there is a standalone build too, but the developers say the Mac and Linux ports get little attention, so the RetroArch core is the better bet there and on Android.
Both run the same games. MVS is the arcade version with coin and DIP-switch settings, AES is the home console. Some games change difficulty, blood or content depending on which BIOS you pick, and you can switch between them in the emulator settings.
Reference: WEM-NEOGEO-GM3A