Feature comparison table

The following table lists almost all of the differences between the official versions of Elite on the 6502.

This table doesn't contain every single difference between the versions, just those that have a noticeable impact in-game. For Acornsoft Elite, there's a complete list of every single difference between the versions; see how to compare the Acornsoft versions of Elite for details (in particular, I recommend the curated lists).

In the following, "Cassette" and "Disc" refer to the BBC Micro cassette and BBC Micro disc versions respectively. Also, Elite-A is not included, as it is a modification of the BBC Micro disc version and lists all its variations within the source code itself.

Note that the table is pretty wide - to see all the different versions, you may need to scroll the window to the right.

Footnotes
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1. ^{^} Including space stations, but not including the 6502 Second Processor version's Elite logo, or the planet and sun.
2. ^{^} The BBC Micro cassette and Electron versions use the Cobra blueprint twice (for trader and pirate); the BBC Micro disc version also uses the Python blueprint twice (again for trader and pirate); and the 6502SP and Master versions also use the asteroid blueprint twice (for the asteroid and the rock hermit).
3. ^{^} Not including the space station, planet or sun.
4. ^{^} The original versions change the whole dashboard palette to indicate that an escape pod is fitted, whereas the advanced versions just change the colour of the dashboard's border. The Electron is monochrome, so it doesn't use the palette to indicate the presence of an escape pod; instead, it displays "Escape Capsule" in the Status Mode screen.
5. ^{^} Planetary details are disabled by default on the Commodore 64 version, but can be switched on using the "P" option while paused.
6. ^{^} In the BBC Micro disc version, extended system descriptions are only shown when docked.
7. ^{^} This refers to the "Default JAMESON" option in the disc menu; you can revert to the default commander in all versions by simply reloading the game.
8. ^{^} This subtle difference in the definition of the laser sound envelope makes the lasers noticeably quieter on the BBC Micro cassette version. The Master version has a unique sound system that doesn't use the standard sound envelopes, so this doesn't apply, and the Electron's sound effects are different again.
9. ^{^} See the deep dive on Docking checks for more details of what these mean for docking.
10. ^{^} In the non-Electron versions, a step size of 8 is used for drawing small circles, while 4 is used for medium circles and 2 for large circles. In the Electron version, small circles use a step size of 8, while all other circles use a step size of 4.
11. ^{^} In the original versions, both sets of laser lines converge at the same pixel. In the 6502 Second Processor version, the upper pair of laser lines aim one pixel higher than the lower pair, so they overlap less, and the Master version aims one pixel higher than that. Because EOR logic is used when drawing, this gives the lasers in the 6502 Second Processor version a sharper point, and the Master version a much sharper point, as the tips overlap less and don't cancel each other out.
12. ^{^} The version bit was changed from 2 to 5 when the refund bug in the first version of BBC Micro disc Elite was fixed. Before the bug was fixed, buying a laser that you already owned affected your credit balance.
13. ^{^} Arbitrary code can be executed on the I/O processor just before the main game code terminates. This could be used for loading device drivers, for example. The address of the code block is &0B00, and the code block must start with the string "TINA", followed by the code to be run. The call handler is implemented at the end of the STARTUP routine.
14. ^{^} The Master Compact release supports the Compact's digital joystick, as well as the standard analogue joystick. The Electron version contains a lot of joystick code, and it is possible to configure joysticks using the "K" option when paused, but the code to actually read joystick values from the ADC channels is omitted, so joysticks can't be used even if configured. That said, the chart routines still call the relevant joystick code, and configuring joysticks does move the crosshairs, just not in a controllable way.
15. ^{^} The Acorn Bitstik is a three-axis joystick that was aimed at professional graphics and CAD. The extra axis means you can twist the stick as well as move it, which Elite lets you use to control the ship's speed.
16. ^{^} The breakdowns are as follows:
    • Disc = 256 (loader 1) + 2,816 (loader 2) + 5,376 (loader 3)
    • 6502 Second Processor = 788 (loader 1) + 5,769 (loader 2)
    • Commodore 64 = 103 (disk loader 1) + 1,096 (disk loader 2) + 18,018 (game loader)
    • Apple II = 319 (hello) + 41 (mover) + 8,192 (loading screen)
    • NES = 16 (iNES header)
17. ^{^} The breakdowns are as follows:
    • Disc = 19,997 (docked) + 17,437 (flight) + 2,560 (ship blueprint file)
    • 6502 Second Processor = 6,454 (I/O processor) + 38,799 (parasite)
    • Commodore 64 = 25,314 (code) + 8,663 (data)
    • Apple II = 20,480 (code 1) + 12,288 (code 2) + 5,376 (data)
    • Master = 27,720 (code) + 16,896 (data)
    • NES = 8 * 16384 (ROM bank 0 to 7)
18. ^{^} For comparison, these variants have the following binary sizes:
    • Executive version (a variant of the 6502SP version) = 788 (loader 1) + 5,769 (loader 2) + 6,451 (I/O processor) + 39,143 (parasite) = 52,151 bytes
    • Master Compact release = loader (740) + 27,904 (code) + 16,896 (data) = 45,540 bytes