Supported Systems¶

Play supports 27 gaming systems via a WebAssembly-based emulator. Each system uses a specific RetroArch core compiled to WebAssembly.

Full System List¶

System ID	Full Name	Emulator Core	RetroArch Core	API Code
`amiga`	Commodore Amiga	amiga	puae	Amiga
`atari2600`	Atari 2600	atari2600	stella2014	Atari2600
`atari5200`	Atari 5200	a5200	atari800	Atari5200
`atari7800`	Atari 7800	atari7800	prosystem	Atari7800
`atarilynx`	Atari Lynx	lynx	handy	Lynx
`c64`	Commodore 64	c64	vice_x64	C64
`colecovision`	ColecoVision	coleco	bluemsx	Coleco
`gb`	Game Boy	gb	gambatte	GB
`gba`	Game Boy Advance	gba	mgba	GBA
`gbc`	Game Boy Color	gb	gambatte	GBC
`gamegear`	Sega Game Gear	segaGG	genesis_plus_gx	GG
`genesis`	Sega Genesis	segaMD	genesis_plus_gx	GEN
`mastersystem`	Sega Master System	segaMS	genesis_plus_gx	SMS
`megadrive`	Sega Mega Drive	segaMD	genesis_plus_gx	MD
`n64`	Nintendo 64	n64	mupen64plus_next	N64
`nds`	Nintendo DS	nds	desmume2015	NDS
`nes`	NES	nes	fceumm	NES
`ngp`	Neo Geo Pocket	ngp	mednafen_ngp	NGP
`pc`	DOS / PC	dos	dosbox_pure	PC
`pcengine`	PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16	pce	mednafen_pce	TGCD
`psp`	PlayStation Portable	psp	ppsspp	PSP
`psx`	PlayStation	psx	pcsx_rearmed	PS1
`saturn`	Sega Saturn	segaSaturn	yabasanshiro	SAT
`segacd`	Sega CD / Mega-CD	segaCD	genesis_plus_gx	SEGACD
`snes`	SNES	snes	snes9x	SNES
`virtualboy`	Virtual Boy	vb	mednafen_vb	VB
`wonderswan`	WonderSwan	ws	mednafen_wswan	WS

The following systems do not have supported emulator cores and cannot be played in Play:

Note

These systems may still be available in NostalgiaDB Downloads as SQLite databases, even though they cannot be played in the browser.

System	Core	Notes
Nintendo 64	mupen64plus_next	High CPU usage. May lag on older hardware or low-power devices.
PlayStation Portable	ppsspp	Demanding emulation. Requires a modern CPU for smooth performance.
Sega Saturn	yabasanshiro	Compatibility varies by game. Some titles may have graphical or audio glitches.
Nintendo DS	desmume2015	Touch input is emulated via mouse clicks on the touchscreen area.
DOS / PC	dosbox_pure	Some games may require specific DOSBox configuration that is not exposed in the UI.

Game Boy and Game Boy Color share the same core (gambatte). GBC games are detected automatically.
Genesis and Mega Drive both use the genesis_plus_gx core. These are the same hardware with different regional names.
Sega Master System, Game Gear, and Sega CD also use genesis_plus_gx, as it supports the full Sega 8/16-bit family.
All emulation happens client-side in your browser. Performance depends entirely on your device's CPU and the browser's WebAssembly implementation.

Problem	Cause	Solution
Severe game lag or choppy audio (especially on N64, PSP, or Saturn)	These cores require significant CPU resources to run WebAssembly emulation smoothly.	Close other resource-heavy browser tabs or applications. Ensure hardware acceleration is enabled in browser settings. Run on a device with higher single-core CPU performance.
Graphical glitches or missing game audio	The emulator core has minor compatibility bugs or struggles with specific game rendering strategies.	Emulation is a best-effort preservation. Report the specific game and system core in the Discord `#bug-reports` channel so the community can investigate custom core compiler updates.
Nintendo DS touch controls are not responsive to taps	Dual-screen touch inputs map differently depending on touch event listeners.	Use mouse clicks on the lower simulated screen partition, or ensure your browser is not blocking pointer events.
DOS / PC games fail to boot or have unresponsive controls	DOSBox Pure requires specific keyboard/mouse capture and configuration that may not align with standard gamepad maps.	Try pressing standard PC game keys (arrow keys, spacebar, enter). Some advanced DOS titles are not fully compatible with standard console emulator control layouts.