Downloading an emulator and getting your hands on a few classic ROMS isn't difficult.

In fact, it's as easy as typing whatever console you want to play into Google, whether it's Super ZSNES, a more comprehensive, customizable package like RetroArch, Dolphin, mGBA, or even more modern consoles like Rujinx, a dead (but not really) Switch emulator, and then hunting down a few ROMs. So, when I came across Afterplay on Reddit a few weeks ago, I was intrigued. Could it really make an already straightforward thing even simpler?

Afterplay is browser-based, which immediately made me think that it probably doesn't work very well. I also assumed that it probably isn't compatible with very many consoles and handhelds. Well, those assumptions were very wrong. Afterplay not only runs smoothly with nearly all the games I tried, but it also emulates a wide variety of consoles, ranging from the Commodore 64 and the Atari 2600, all the way up to the Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, and even the Sega Saturn.

A streamlined retro emulation experience that gets you right to gaming

If you want more advanced options like shaders, you can still do that

It's wild when you sit back and think about the fact that the Afterplay runs directly in a browser (there's also an app you can download, but you don't need to). It even offers more advanced features like cloud save syncing, cheats, multiplayer, autosaving, and in-game clock manipulation, which really comes in handy for games like Pokémon Gold and Silver.

There's even the option to turn on CRT scanlines, LCD grids, upscaling, and more. Oh, and there are built-in achievements, too. The free version of Afterplay is limited to two manual saves and two autosaves per game and lacks a built-in cheat database and shaders. A premium $25-a-year subscription gives you access to unlimited saves, shaders, built-in media capture, hotkeys/macros, and more (signing up gives you a seven-day free trial so you can test these features out).

Of course, you can do all of this with other emulators. It's relatively easy to set up your own shaders with a platform like RetroArch, as well as your own cloud storage through a NAS or a platform like Google Drive, but there's something to be said about how straightforward Afterplay is. You select the console or handheld, find the ROM on your device, whether that's a Mac, PC, iOS, or Android, and add it to your library. Box art is even automatically synced with the ROM, adding a level of polish to the experience that often takes at least a bit of work on other emulation platforms like EmuDeck. For the most part, Afterplay automatically found art for every ROM I added to my library, but there were a few misses. Thankfully, that's easily fixed by manually searching its database of art.

Even connecting a controller is simple. My Xbox Elite Series 2 gamepad instantly connected and was recognized by Firefox after I granted it input access in macOS' security settings. For the most part, controller button mapping is solid, too, but if you want to change it, the option is there. If you already have a substantial ROM library, you can just batch-import all the ROMs for each system.

Cloud-based ROMs and saves are super convenient

This makes playing old-school games across several platforms very easy

There's just something very convenient about always having Afterplay at my fingertips. There's really no setup or digging for saved files — it's all just there. If I have the urge to play Mario Kart 64, I can add it to the browser-based emulator and start playing (as long as I already have the ROM, of course). There's no hunting down an emulator and mapping controls. What's even better is that once I've added a ROM to my library, it's available on any platform even if the ROM isn't on my device. For example, I added The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to Afterplay on my MacBook Pro via Firefox, then continued playing on my iPhone 17 Pro with the same browser, all with seamless autosaves and progression (this feature, of course, hinges on having an internet connection).

One of the more interesting things about Afterplay is the ability to buy new games developed for classic consoles, such as Infinity, The Machine, Zephyr's Pass, and more, through its partnership with Incube8 Games and other retro-modern game publishers. It reminds me of ModRetro's efforts to revive Game Boy and Nintendo 64 titles with the Chromatic and M64, but without the baggage that comes with the company being founded by a controversial figure like Palmer Luckey.

Afterplay also offers apps on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux if you'd rather not use a browser, though in my experience, the web version of the app is just as solid. The one key difference I've noticed is that there doesn't seem to be a way to remove the address bar in the web version of Afterplay, which can be a bit distracting. With the mobile app, this isn't an issue.

Afterplay might not be the most advanced retro game emulator out there, but for me, the convenience and ease of use it offers have me turning to it more often than I expected, especially when I have the urge to play a random game from my childhood and don't have the time to mess around with various settings. It lets me get right into the game quickly.