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⌂ ∞ ▽ Elite on the 6502

Playing 6502 Elite in the 21st century

There are lots of versions of Elite on the 6502, and here's how you can play all these different 8-bit wonders on modern computers.

The easiest way to play Elite is online. The "Play online" links below will run the game right here in your browser, using the JSBeeb emulator (for the BBC versions) or Electroniq (for the Acorn Electron versions).

Full instructions for the BBC Micro version can be found in the Space Trader's Flight Training Manual (PDF) and on Ian Bell's website.

Elite over Econet in BeebEm

Note that modern keyboards don't have the same range of keys as the BBC Micro or Electron, or even the same layout. In particular, BBC keys like f0 and COPY don't tend to exist anymore, so you may have to check the documentation to see which keys you should press instead. In JSBeeb you should press f10 instead of f0 to launch from the station, while in Electroniq you can launch using TAB-1 instead of FUNC-1.

If you want to play the game on a real vintage computer or in an emulator that you've installed on a modern machine, then there are links below to the relevant images (SSD for single-sided disc images, DSD for double-sided disc images, or UEF for tape images). To play Elite with an SSD disc image, load the disc image into drive 0 and press SHIFT-BREAK. To play Elite with a UEF tape image, load the image into the cassette player and enter CHAIN "ELITE".

As well as the official releases, there are plenty of unofficial and hacked versions of Elite, so I've included a selection of those. In particular, the flicker-free versions are worth checking out, and if you are interested in exploring modern versions of the game, such as Teletext Elite or the Elite Universe Editor, then check out the other notable releases

Note that this list is not comprehensive; it's a list of recommended versions to try out. For a full list of contemporary versions, see the different variants of each version, or click the "more information" links below to see details of all the different variants for a particular version.

The Elite Compendium
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The Elite Compendium is a collection of the very best of Acornsoft Elite, updated with as many hacks and enhancements as I've been able to fit in. If you're looking to play 8-bit Elite, then this is a pretty good place to start.

Original releases
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The following versions are recommended for fans of the original 1980s Elite experience.

Flicker-free Elite
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Elite has been updated to reduce the amount of flicker, and these versions are recommended if you want a slightly more refined experience than the original. Most versions have both flicker-free ships and planets, though some only have flicker-free ships (as indicated). See the flicker-free Elite section for details.

Other notable releases
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Modern-day developments have taken Elite to a completely new level. If Teletext Elite or the Elite Universe Editor are your kind of thing, then I highly recommend you check out the Elite hacks section for more hacks.