Star Fox 64 on PC: Starship setup guide (2026)
Starship is Harbour Masters' native PC port of Star Fox 64. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, with a Switch homebrew build too. It isn't an emulator: it's built on the SF64 decompilation and libultraship. You bring a supported US ROM; it brings widescreen-friendly rendering, mods and modern input. Checked against the official repo on Oct 13, 2026 (~2.1k stars).
Legal: CRT Forge links to official project repos only. We never host or link ROMs, ISOs or game dumps. Bring your own dump from a cartridge or disc you own. This isn't legal advice.
Step 1: verify your ROM dump
Only US 1.0 and US 1.1 Rev A are supported for base asset extraction. Hash them at romhacking.net/hash:
- US 1.0 SHA-1:
D8B1088520F7C5F81433292A9258C1184AFA1457 - US 1.1 Rev A SHA-1:
09F0D105F476B00EFA5303A3EBC42E60A7753B7A
Your file must be .z64. If it's .n64, convert with a byte-swapper (the README links hack64.net/tools/swapper.php). Optional: EU (Lylat) or JP voice replacements can ride on top of a US ROM, one language at a time.
Step 2: download from official Releases
Grab the zip for your OS from github.com/HarbourMasters/Starship/releases. Anything bundled with a ROM is not from the project.
Step 3: launch and generate sf64.o2r
- Windows: extract and run
starship.exe, then select your US ROM. - Linux: run
starship.appimage(you may needchmod +xfirst). - macOS: run Starship and select your ROM when asked.
- Nintendo Switch: generate
sf64.o2ron a PC build first, then copy the files to your SD card as the README describes.
Default controls and shortcuts
| N64 button | Keyboard |
|---|---|
| A | X |
| B | C |
| Z | Z |
| Start | Space |
| Analog stick | W A S D |
| C buttons | Arrow keys |
| D-Pad | T F G H |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
F1 | Toggle menubar |
F4 | Reset |
F11 | Fullscreen |
Tab | Toggle alternate assets |
Graphics backends and crash fixes
Supported APIs: DirectX 11 (Windows default), OpenGL (all platforms), Metal (macOS default). Change them in Settings (restart required). If it crashes, edit starship.cfg.json: under "Backend", set id to 3 and Name to OpenGL (DX11 is id 2; Metal is id 4).
Mods
Place .o2r or .otr packs in the mods folder and press Tab in-game. Pack your own with retro. The fast64 Blender plugin does not support Star Fox 64 yet.
More Harbour Masters ports: Ship of Harkinian (Ocarina), SpaghettiKart (Mario Kart 64), 2Ship (Majora's Mask). Full list: best N64 PC ports and the decomp hub.
FAQ
Is Starship legal?
Starship contains no copyrighted assets. You must provide a supported US Star Fox 64 dump. The Harbour Masters team does not condone piracy. This isn't legal advice.
Where do I download Starship?
Only from the official GitHub Releases page, github.com/HarbourMasters/Starship/releases. The latest release we checked on Oct 13, 2026 is v2.0.0 "Barnard Alfa" (published May 25, 2025), with Windows, macOS, Linux and Switch builds.
Which Star Fox 64 ROM does Starship need?
US 1.0 (SHA-1 D8B1088520F7C5F81433292A9258C1184AFA1457) or US 1.1 Rev A (SHA-1 09F0D105F476B00EFA5303A3EBC42E60A7753B7A). JP and EU base ROMs are not supported for o2r creation; you can add EU (Lylat) or JP voice packs with a US ROM, one language at a time.
What is sf64.o2r?
On first launch Starship extracts assets from your ROM into sf64.o2r. The PC build needs that archive. Switch homebrew also expects you to generate sf64.o2r on PC first, then copy it to the SD card.
Does Starship support mods?
Yes. Drop custom .o2r or .otr packs in the mods folder and press Tab to toggle alternate assets. The README points to HarbourMasters64/retro for packing archives. Note: the fast64 Blender plugin does not support Star Fox 64 at this time.
Starship vs emulation: why use it?
It's a native PC port on libultraship, not an emulator. Widescreen, modern backends (DX11, OpenGL, Metal) and mods are built in. Same family as Ship of Harkinian and SpaghettiKart.