3ric is a brand new 6502 computer you can boot in your browser

Developer Eric Badger has released 3ric, a from-scratch 65C02 computer that exists simultaneously as a physical circuit board and a cycle-accurate browser emulator. The project combines custom hardware design with a C++ virtual machine that compiles directly to WebAssembly.

The 6502 microprocessor is the silicon that built the 1980s. It powered the Nintendo Entertainment System (in a modified form), the Commodore 64, and the Apple II. Building a new computer around the 65C02 (the CMOS version of the chip) is a popular hardware engineering challenge, but Badger took the concept further by building a complete, zero-install development ecosystem around it.

A KansasFest 2026 program link is included in the demo environment. The timing seems perfect for the annual Apple II convention. I think this is a very cool project, mostly because it removes every barrier to writing assembly code.

Not a perfect clone

The hardware side of 3ric relies on KiCad schematics, a custom printed circuit board, 22V10 GAL address-decode logic, and a 512 KB ROM. It also includes a 6551-style ACIA serial interface and a 6522 VIA chip for input and output. According to Badger's post in the A.P.P.L.E. User group, this is an original computer rather than a perfect Apple II clone.

It does borrow heavily from Steve Wozniak's playbook. The system uses the familiar Apple II memory map, the classic 40x24 text and hi-res color video modes, the $C000 keyboard interface, and the Disk II architecture. You can boot standard .woz floppy images. It also includes modern conveniences like a bit-banged SPI FAT32 micro-SD card reader complete with a ROM-based DOS shell.

The emulator side is built from the exact same logic. One shared C++ core drives both the native Windows build and the browser version. You can try it immediately via the live web demo without creating an account or installing any software.

The AI actually wrote the games

One of the most interesting pieces of the GitHub repository is the integration of artificial intelligence for code generation. Asking a standard large language model to write 6502 assembly usually results in code that looks plausible but fails to compile. The AI often hallucinates memory addresses or uses instructions that do not exist on the target hardware.

Badger solved this by feeding the AI structured platform context. He created a specific machine-readable file that provides the AI with the assembler dialect, memory maps, and hardware interfaces. This turns vague prompts into testable software. In a new video documenting the build process, Badger shows off three original AI-generated games running on the hardware. The lineup includes Star Swarm, Block Drop, and Rock Storm.

Zero friction assembly

The browser environment includes a built-in 65C02 assembler. You can write code, hit a button, and watch it run instantly on the virtual hardware. It works, which is the nicest thing I can say about any web-based IDE.

Because the system understands the Disk II architecture, you can export your compiled programs as bootable .woz floppy disks. Those disk images can then be loaded into other Apple II emulators or written to physical media for use on real hardware. You can also share programs via deep links. These links load the source code directly into the browser editor for anyone who clicks them.

It is a massive amount of work for a personal learning project. The entire machine runs client-side. It proves that the modern web is actually good for something other than serving advertisements.