Playing Games

Learn about the Play tab in Playback and all its features.

The Play tab is your main screen for playing games in Playback. It shows game information before you start, then transforms into the emulation screen when you launch a game. When you insert a cartridge, the Play tab displays: Game artwork on the...

Manage your cartridge data with backup and upload features.

The Data tab is your control center for managing the data on your cartridges. From here you can back up games and saves, upload homebrew, and manage Game Boy® Camera photos. Create a personal backup of your game cartridge for archival purposes. The...

How Playback identifies and displays game information.

When you insert a cartridge, Playback displays the game's cover art, title, description, and other information. When a game is recognized, Playback shows: Cover artwork: The game's box art or label Title: The official game name Description: A brief...

Automatic save backups that keep your progress safe.

The Vault is Playback's automatic save backup system that protects your game progress without any effort on your part. The Vault silently backs up your in-game saves every time you play. If your cartridge battery dies, your save gets corrupted, or...

How your Operator device verifies and protects cartridge data.

Your Operator device doesn't just read cartridge data, it verifies it. Every read and write operation goes through integrity checks that catch problems before they become permanent. Original consoles don't verify data. They read what's on the...

Move save files between your cartridge and computer.

Transfer save files between your physical cartridge and computer using the Data tab in Playback. To copy a save from your cartridge to your computer: Insert your cartridge into the Operator device Go to the Data tab Click Backup Save Choose where to...

Best practices for keeping your game saves safe.

Your game saves represent hours of gameplay. Here's how to protect them from battery death, corruption, and accidents. Playback automatically backs up your saves to the Vault: Saves every 5 minutes during gameplay (if changed) Saves when you exit a...

Speed up gameplay or rewind to fix mistakes.

Playback includes rewind and fast-forward features to enhance your gaming experience. Speed up gameplay to skip through slow sections, grinding, or unskippable cutscenes. Enable in Settings > Playback > Enable Fast Forward During gameplay, click the...

Use cheat codes for infinite lives, invincibility, and more.

Playback supports cheat codes for your games, including pre-loaded database cheats and custom codes you add yourself. Load a game (insert cartridge and launch) Open Settings (click the Playback logo > Settings) Select Cheat Codes from the menu The...

How Playback handles games with real-time clock features.

Some cartridges include a Real-Time Clock (RTC) chip that tracks actual time for in-game events like day/night cycles, growing berries, or daily encounters. Playback fully supports these games. Reading: When you insert a cartridge, Playback reads...

Set up local co-op for games that support multiple players.

Some retro games support local multiplayer, allowing two or more players to play together on the same screen. This applies to games that natively supported multiple controllers on the original console, not games that required a link cable or other...

Earn achievements while playing your original cartridges.

Playback integrates with RetroAchievements.org, a community that adds achievement systems to classic games. Earn achievements, track your progress, and compete on leaderboards, all while playing your original cartridges. Note: RetroAchievements...

Show friends what you're playing with Discord Rich Presence.

Playback integrates with Discord® Rich Presence to show your friends what game you're playing in real-time. When connected, your Discord status shows: This appears in your Discord profile, friends' activity feeds, and server member lists. Discord...

Use your Game Boy Camera as a retro webcam for streaming and video calls.

Turn your Game Boy® Camera into a working webcam using Playback and streaming software like OBS. GB Operator device Game Boy Camera cartridge OBS Studio (or similar streaming software) Playback app Before starting: Go to Settings > Core Selector and...

Using SNES Mouse and Super Scope with the SN Operator.

The SN Operator supports SNES® peripherals for games that require special input devices. SNES Mouse: For mouse-compatible games Super Scope: For lightgun-compatible games Insert a game that supports the peripheral Go to Settings > Controls Select...