Guide
Every Genesis game you can play natively on PC
4 Genesis games run as native PC programs, with no emulator. Fans rebuilt them in 1 decomp, 1 recomp and 2 rebuilt engines, and 2 of these ports are playable now. This list is built from the PlayPorted catalog, so it changes as projects ship.
4 ports · Updated
Playable now 2
Their projects call them playable.
| Game | Project | Method | Systems | Last release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic 3 & Knuckles | Sonic 3 A.I.R. | Rebuild | Windows, macOS, Linux | No release yet |
| Streets of Rage 2 | SOR2 New Era | Decomp | Windows, macOS, Linux | Jan 2026 |
In beta 1
They run, with missing pieces or known problems.
| Game | Project | Method | Systems | Last release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master | Ninja Master | Rebuild | Windows, macOS, Linux | v0.1.2 |
In progress 1
Still in development.
| Game | Project | Method | Systems | Last release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic the Hedgehog | SonicTheHedgehogRecomp | Recomp | Windows, macOS, Linux | v0.7.0 |
How to play them
- Get the game files from a copy of the game you own. Check each project's page for the version it needs.
- Download the port from its project page. Every row above links to the port's page on PlayPorted, which links to the project.
- Point the port at your game files the way its project page describes.
Some ports take a long time to reach a release, and how they are made explains why.Decomp vs recomp covers the difference.
Questions
Is this emulation?
No. Each port is the game rebuilt as a native program, so it runs without an emulator.
Do they work on Steam Deck and Linux?
4 of these ports ship for Linux, which is what Steam Deck runs. Check each port's page for its systems.
What about Mac?
4 ship for macOS. Check each port's page for its systems.
Can I download the games here?
No. PlayPorted links to the projects and never hosts game files. Every port needs game files from a copy you own.