Vactrex

Vactrex is an emulator for the 1982 vectrex vector-graphics console — the one with a real CRT that drew lines directly with an electron beam instead of pixels. It comes with Star Stomper, an original vector game written for it, so there is something to play the moment you open the app. THE DISPLAY IS THE POINT Most emulators of this machine draw approximations. Vactrex models the analog hardware: the digital-to-analog converter, the sample-and-hold channels, the X and Y integrators, and the beam-blanking signal. Every line you see was traced by a simulated beam, the same way the original did it — including the dots that make up bullets, mines and explosions, which are drawn by parking the beam and lighting it in place. Phosphor persistence and glow are rendered on the GPU, so bright objects bloom and fading trails linger, the way they do on the real tube. ACCURATE UNDERNEATH - Cycle-accurate MC6809 processor - 6522 VIA timers, shift register and port emulation - AY-3-8912 sound with correct tone, noise and envelope generation - Emulated time paced against the real clock, so games run at their true speed, including slowing down exactly where the original did when a scene has more to draw BRING YOUR OWN CARTRIDGES Star Stomper is included and needs nothing. To play the rest of the library you supply your own, legally obtained: an 8 KB system ROM, and any cartridge files you own. Connect your device and open it in Finder, or use the Files app. Drop cartridge files into the Vactrex folder and they appear in your library — no import step, no hidden storage, your own filenames kept. Organise them into subfolders if you like. Delete a file and the game disappears. ZIP archives work too, so files from an existing collection can go straight in without unpacking. Identical files are recognised as one game, however they are named. The app validates what you give it and tells you plainly if a file will not work, rather than failing later. CONTROLS On-screen controls sit over the game, with adjustable size and opacity. Volume and mute are in settings. Game controllers are supported. MFi, Xbox and PlayStation pads pair through iOS Bluetooth settings and are picked up automatically — and because the original console had an analog stick, an analog pad maps straight onto it. PRIVACY No accounts, no analytics, no network access, no data collected. Nothing leaves your device.