TIC-80

TIC-80 emulates TIC-80 cartridges.

About this profile

Detail	Value
Type	libretro
Classification	Game engine
Source	https://github.com/libretro/TIC-80
Upstream	https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80
Version	1.2.0-dev, stated in cmake/version.cmake
Revision	libretro/TIC-80@14fd99edc299, nesbox/TIC-80@ae1195a9d0fb
Profiled	2026-03-25
Profile	YAML, JSON
Cores	tic80
Systems	TIC-80 cartridges

Platform details

• cartridge_format:

  • extensions: tic, png
  • source_ref: src/system/libretro/tic80_libretro.c:339
  • note: .tic is the native cartridge format. .png loads cartridges encoded as cover images (code stored in PNG metadata).

• runtime:

  • source_ref: .gitmodules (emulator code, libretro port), nesbox TIC-80 runtime
  • note: Entire runtime compiled into the binary. No external dependencies. State serialization uses TIC_PERSISTENT_SIZE * 4 bytes of pmem() data (src/system/libretro/tic80_libretro.c:1203-1243).

Technical notes

Fantasy computer for making, playing and sharing tiny games. The libretro repo wraps nesbox/TIC-80 as a submodule, and the libretro wrapper (tic80_libretro.c) lives in the upstream repo itself.

Content loaded entirely via libretro data buffer (need_fullpath = false, src/system/libretro/tic80_libretro.c:340). No call to RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_GET_SYSTEM_DIRECTORY. No code path reads any file from the system directory. All VM resources (sprites, palette, font, sound engine) are compiled into the binary.

TIC_MODULE_EXT (dynamic scripting plugins) is disabled in libretro builds via #if !defined(LIBRETRO) in include/tic80_config.h:36.

No BIOS or firmware files required.

Next steps

• Get your files, for the setup you play on
• Every system, and the files each one needs
• When a game does not start

Data as of 4 November 2026.