30+ classic console systems
From the 8-bit NES to the disc-era PlayStation. Every major retro console runs natively in your browser — load a ROM and play.
Free online emulator · 30+ systems · No download
Handheld is a free, browser-based online emulator for classic console games. NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA, Nintendo 64, PlayStation 1, Sega Genesis and 25+ more — load a ROM and play instantly on any device, with cloud saves, online multiplayer and full controller support. No installation, no signup, no ads.
An online emulator is a piece of software that recreates a retro game console — like a Nintendo NES, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis or Sony PlayStation — directly inside a web browser. Instead of physical hardware, the original game cartridge or disc is replaced by a digital ROM file, and the emulator runs it the same way the real machine did decades ago.
Handheld is a 100% free online emulator that focuses on classic console games from the 8-bit, 16-bit and 32/64-bit eras. You can play classic games online without downloading anything, on a PC, Mac, phone, tablet or Chromebook. Cloud saves keep your progress in sync across devices, and built-in netplay lets you play retro games online with friends in real time.
Popular titles people play through Handheld include Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon Red/Blue, Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Tetris, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Mega Man, Castlevania, Contra, Mario Kart 64, GoldenEye 007, Crash Bandicoot, Doom, Duke Nukem 3D.
From the 8-bit NES to the disc-era PlayStation. Every major retro console runs natively in your browser — load a ROM and play.
Built-in netplay over peer-to-peer WebRTC. Share a link, your friend joins, and you both control the game in real time — no apps, no port-forwarding.
Sign in and your save states follow you everywhere. Start a level on your phone at lunch, pick it up on your laptop after work.
Use any USB / Bluetooth controller through the Web Gamepad API, or play with the customisable on-screen virtual pad on mobile.
Handheld is a Progressive Web App — after the first visit the emulator and your library work offline. Perfect for travelling or flaky Wi-Fi.
Add Handheld to your iOS, Android, Windows or macOS home screen and it behaves like a native app — full-screen, no browser chrome.
Handheld runs libretro-compatible WebAssembly cores — the same engines that power most reference emulators on desktop. From the 8-bit NES through the 32-bit PlayStation, every system below is fully supported and free to play.
1985 · 8-bit
1991 · 16-bit
1989 · Handheld
1998 · Handheld
2001 · Handheld
1996 · 64-bit
2004 · Handheld
1986 · 8-bit
1988 · 16-bit
1991 · 16-bit
1994 · 32-bit
1990 · Handheld
1994 · 32-bit
1994 · 32-bit
2004 · Handheld
1975 · Arcade
1977 · 8-bit
1986 · 8-bit
1989 · Handheld
1981 · PC
1982 · 8-bit
1982 · 8-bit
Don't see your favourite console? Let us know— we're adding more systems regularly.
Answers to the most common questions about playing classic console games online in a browser — drawn from what people actually search for.
Handheld lets you play classic games online completely free in your browser — no signup, no downloads, no ads. You load a ROM file (drag & drop or paste a URL) and the emulator runs the game directly. Every retro system from NES and SNES to PlayStation 1 and Sega Genesis is supported, and the basic experience is identical for everyone — there are no paywalls and no premium-only games or features.
Emulators themselves are legal — they're just software that mimics older console hardware. The legal grey area is ROMs (game files). In most countries you may legally play a game you already own a physical copy of. Distributing copyrighted ROMs is not legal, which is why Handheld doesn't host them — you bring your own ROM file and we run it in your browser.
No. Handheld runs entirely in the browser using WebAssembly emulator cores, so there is no installer, no plugin, no native app required. The first time you visit, the necessary core (a few hundred KB) downloads automatically. You can optionally install Handheld as a Progressive Web App to get a full-screen, app-like experience.
Yes. Handheld is mobile-first — the UI scales to any screen, and a touch-optimised virtual gamepad gives you a full d-pad, action buttons and shoulder triggers. It works on iPhone, Android, iPad and Android tablets. You can also pair a Bluetooth controller (Xbox, PS4/5, 8BitDo etc.) for a more authentic feel.
All of the major retro libraries: Nintendo (NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, GBA, Nintendo 64, DS), Sega (Master System, Genesis / Mega Drive, Sega CD, 32X, Game Gear, Saturn), Sony PlayStation 1 and PSP, Atari 2600 / 7800 / Lynx, arcade games via MAME, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum and DOS classics through DOSBox.
Yes — every game supports online netplay. The host clicks Multiplayer, shares the invite link, and a friend joins. Video and inputs flow directly between the two browsers over peer-to-peer WebRTC (no central video server), so latency is just the network ping between you. Works for any console game, even single-screen titles like Super Mario Bros. or Street Fighter II.
Three usual causes. (1) An older or low-end device — heavy systems like PlayStation 1 or N64 need decent CPU. (2) Background tabs/throttling — pin the tab and close others. (3) For netplay specifically, distance to your friend dominates — WebRTC routes peer-to-peer when possible but falls back through a TURN relay on strict networks. For best results both players should be on broadband and the same continent.
Handheld runs entirely in your browser's WebAssembly sandbox — the same security boundary that contains every other website. There's nothing to install, no executable to run, no plugin to grant permissions to. The emulator core cannot read files outside what you explicitly drag in. We're open about what we do and what we collect — see the Privacy page for details.
Two ways. (1) Save states (instant snapshots) — press the save button or use a keyboard shortcut, and your exact position is captured into one of 10 slots per game. (2) Battery saves — work just like a cartridge SRAM, the game saves the way it always did. Signed-in users get their saves synced to the cloud automatically and available on every device.
No, a keyboard works fine and all key bindings are customisable. But for the authentic feel a USB or Bluetooth controller is great — Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro, 8BitDo and most generic pads are detected automatically through the Web Gamepad API. On mobile, the touch-screen virtual pad is the default.
Yes — Handheld runs in any modern browser, so a Chromebook works perfectly. School networks sometimes block sites; if so, install Handheld as a PWA at home and you can keep playing offline. Performance on entry-level Chromebooks is fine for 8/16-bit systems (NES, SNES, Game Boy) — heavier consoles like PlayStation 1 may need a more powerful machine.
RetroArch is a powerful desktop emulator front-end you install on your PC. Handheld is a browser-based emulator using many of the same libretro cores — zero install, instant launch, automatic cloud saves, and you can switch devices freely. The trade-off: desktop RetroArch squeezes a bit more performance out for heavy systems, while Handheld trades that for convenience and portability.