SDL.NET on AI VOID

Picture Processing Unit (PPU) Part 1: VRAM and Background Rendering

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

So far, our Game Boy emulator can execute CPU instructions and manage memory, but it’s a silent, black box. This chapter changes that. We’re about to bring the Game Boy to life by tackling the Picture Processing Unit (PPU) – the hardware responsible for all the visuals. This is a significant milestone, as seeing actual graphics from a ROM is incredibly rewarding and validates much of our prior work.

Input Handling: Connecting Keyboard to Game Boy Buttons

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Handling user input is crucial for any interactive application, especially an emulator. In this chapter, we’ll bridge the gap between your physical keyboard and the Game Boy’s virtual buttons. You’ll learn how to capture keyboard events, map them to the Game Boy’s specific input registers, and integrate this into your emulator’s main loop. By the end, your emulator will respond to your key presses, allowing you to control Game Boy games.

Building a Game Boy Emulator with F#

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Building a Game Boy emulator from the ground up is a deeply rewarding project that takes you into the heart of computer architecture and low-level system design. This guide will walk you through constructing a functional Game Boy emulator using F#, focusing on a modular, functional approach to replicate the original hardware’s behavior.

Why Build an Emulator?

Emulators are more than just software; they are digital time capsules that preserve computing history and provide a unique window into how hardware and software truly interact. By building one, you’ll gain an unparalleled understanding of: