Released in 1984, the Commodore 16 was released intending to be a more entry-level computer, replacing the VIC-20.
System Overview
The Commodore 16 is similar to the Commodore Plus/4, with less RAM, but the C16 is compatible with some of its software titles.
The system flopped in the US and was pulled from the market in less than a year. It did perform well within Europe, though, where most of the software development derived from.
The Commodore 16 shares its form factor with the VIC-20 and C64 but in a darker grey-coloured case. It utilises a MOS 7501 clocked @ 0.89mhz and has 16k of RAM.
Nowhere near as popular as the VIC-20 or C64, the C16 in itself only sold less than half a million units. If you include the Plus/4 and C16 variant, the C116, combined they sold one million units. But as individual systems did not perform as well as hoped.
The Commodore 16 was the last budget-targeted home computer that Commodore produced.
How To Emulate This System?
Commodore 16 emulation is reasonably well catered for, we recommend taking a look at RetroArch if you are seeking an all-in-one solution. RetroArch emulates a large number of systems including the Commodore 16. RetroArch is a front end that utilises emulator ‘cores’, it is reasonably easy to use and has lots of good supporting documentation on how to use it. RetroArch is available across a number of platforms including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Raspberry Pi, and many consoles. Take a look at our quick start guide for RetroArch which can get you up and running in 5 minutes.
The king of Commodore emulation has long reigned in the form of VICE (the Versatile Commodore Emulator). VICE provides emulation of pretty much all of Commodore’s systems except the Amiga.
It is the most complete all-in-one Commodore system emulator package available. We definitely recommended VICE as a single point to emulate most Commodore systems.
| Emulator | Description | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| VICE | The most configurable and advanced Commodore emulator, emulating a number of Commodore systems including the Commodore 16. Certainly recommended if you want to play around with more in-depth settings. | Windows / OSX / Linux / Android |
A lifelong avid gamer and computing enthusiast, Matt has decades of Retro Gaming experience. Now over 40 years old, Matt now even considers himself retro, but fortunately, nobody has developed a Matt emulator (not yet at least!).