A $1.99 emulator puts MSX computer games and BASIC programs on an Apple Watch
iMSX2 puts an old home-computer environment on devices that never came with a cartridge slot.
An Apple Watch is an improbable place to put a home computer, partly because the home computer expected more keyboard. iMSX2 lists the watch among its supported devices anyway. A machine once associated with cartridges and BASIC has become something you can wear while wondering where the function keys went.
The App Store page identifies Enrique Enguix as the developer and lists a US price of $1.99. The application targets MSX and MSX2 software across iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. The listing groups several devices together, so platform-specific controls deserve a closer look.
Supported input files include ROM, MX1, MX2, DSK and ZIP. The listing also describes running users’ own BASIC programs. That last feature widens the appeal beyond replaying a familiar cartridge: an old program can be an object to inspect and alter, even when the device running it looks nothing like the original computer.
The emulator uses C-BIOS and permits importing custom BIOS files for compatibility. A game’s file extension is therefore only the beginning of the compatibility question. Its expected machine configuration and cartridge mapping can matter too. The developer provides several ROM-type choices for cases where automatic loading does not produce the intended result.
The listing describes save states, disk swapping and controller or keyboard support among the app’s features. Those details should not be stretched into a promise that every control arrangement works identically on every listed device. A watch, phone and tablet have very different practical input and display constraints, even when they share an app name.
That distinction is especially important for the watch angle. Successfully loading a program establishes less than comfortably using it. Tiny buttons, text and menus can turn an otherwise straightforward game into a control-layout exercise. A program needing a few inputs is a different candidate from one that expects frequent typing or a full row of function keys.
The maker says the app contains no advertising and does not require an internet connection. Those are listing claims, with no independent network or privacy audit performed here. Game data and BIOS files also remain material a user must supply ; buying an emulator does not automatically supply the original commercial software library.
If you already have a compatible Apple Watch, the practical first question is which particular program you want to run. Check its inputs and the app’s current device requirements before buying for that purpose. The entertaining achievement is the home computer’s relocation. Whether your favorite game enjoys the new address depends on its keyboard habits.
BASIC now has a wrist address.