Atari Lynx

The Atari Lynx was the world’s first color handheld gaming console, released in 1989 — beating the Game Boy Color to market by almost a decade. Its hardware was technically impressive for its time, featuring hardware-accelerated sprites and scaling. Standout titles include California Games, Chip’s Challenge, Rygar, and Blue Lightning.

Provenance emulates the Atari Lynx through the Mednafen core.

Supported File Formats

• .lnx — Standard Atari Lynx ROM format
• .lyx — Alternative Lynx ROM extension (headerless format)

BIOS

The Atari Lynx requires a BIOS file for full compatibility. See BIOS Requirements for details.

Features

• Mednafen Core — Accurate Lynx emulation
• Save States — Snapshot and restore progress at any point
• Controller Support — Full MFi, Xbox, and PlayStation wireless controller support
• Orientation Support — Some Lynx games were designed to be rotated 90° — Provenance handles both orientations

iCloud Sync with Provenance Plus

Provenance Plus syncs your Lynx save states and library across all your Apple devices via iCloud.

How to Get Started

1. Download Provenance from the App Store — it’s free.
2. Add your Lynx ROM files and BIOS via the Files app or Wi-Fi import.
3. Start playing — your Atari Lynx games appear in your library automatically.

For detailed setup instructions, visit the Provenance wiki.