Welcome to a taste of early 1980s home computing. This app focuses on the Sinclair ZX81 experience and is loaded with example software. Background: In 1980 the British company Science of Cambridge (later renamed Sinclair Research) released the Sinclair ZX80 home computer. The computer was developed with another technology company, Nine Tiles, and manufactured in a Timex Corporation factory in Dundee, Scotland. Followed in March 1981 by the even more popular successor, the Sinclair ZX81, both models had a profound impact on home and hobbyist computing in the UK and many other countries. Timex Corporation and Sinclair Research continued their joint venture and released the Timex Sinclair 1000 (TS1000) and 1500 (TS1500) variants of the ZX81 for the US market in July 1982 and July 1983 respectively. Meanwhile, another iconic British home computer, the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, was under development and hit the market in April 1982... but that's another story. Special thanks to Nine Tiles for granting permission to include the ROM code, to which they retain the intellectual property rights after all these years. Additionally, many thanks to all the developers of the loaded ZX81 software who have all granted permission to include their titles in the app. We hope this list of software will continue to grow in future updates.
A triumph
What a fantastic emulator! Thank you!
United StatesTwangs the nostalgia string
Motivates me to buy and install and replace the faulty keyboard on my old ZX81, but then I’d also have to find some kind of RF signal solution… this app may save me a lot of time and money… good stuff
United StatesOk so I looked up what the Jupiter ACE Was…..
And the games for it look awesome! Good luck on that new emulator release! When will it come out?
United StatesI like to ask you a question.
Are you going to do a TI-99/4a App? Or a Commodore App?
United StatesZX81 is cool but...
Are you working on a new emulator? I know that your goal is to Bring back experience of PC gaming from the 80s by making emulators. But are you also going to do and emulator based on video game systems? Bad news but I don’t think but developer of spectacular is no longer active. I have noticed that he stopped updating the app ever since 2015.
United StatesAre you going to do a ZX Spectrum emulator?
Hello I love your emulator. You did a great Job re-creating the ZX81 experience. But I would like you to do a ZX SPECTRUM emulator or at least add ZX SPECTRUM Games to your emulator. Also when I read the article when watchmakers made computers, I saw that you said that you had a Commodore a computer and a ZX Spectrum Computer. And that you did not owned a ZX81 until recent times. I am probably guessing you’re gonna do an emulator based on your commodore or your ZX Spectrum am I right or am I wrong?
United StatesWow just wow it’s excellent!
When I first got this app I started up a but it had no sound but then I realized the ZX81 has no sound! I love this app because there are a lot of games to play. There is one thing that I would like you add in a future update ZX Spectrum games! I saw that there are different ZX computers simulated onto the system. ZX Spectrum games to add with the update: Pietro bros, Donkey Kong from ocean soft, Mario bros from ocean soft, Star Wars the Empire strikes back from Atari soft, Pacman from Atari soft, and Ms pac man from Atari soft. Including ZX Spectrum Homebrew games like: Super Mario Bros. The systems required to play these games will be: ZX Spectrum 48k and ZX Spectrum 128k. I read an article when I was searching for your emulator. The article called: when watchmakers made computers. And it said you were familiar with the ZX Spectrum but you never had one growing up. Please add ZX Spectrum to ZX81. Just an idea.
United States
Enables ZX81/ZX80 program file loading (iOS/iPadOS 14+).
Subscribe our newsletter and get useful information every week.
Other Games Apps
Similar Apps