Frequently asked questions

Is Retrario free?

Yes. There is no payment and no subscription, and the page shows no ads.

Which game can I play?

Today one: PES 2013 (PlayStation 2 version), the European edition. It has its own page; the consoles planned next are on the hub.

Do I need an account?

Not to play alone or with two people on one computer. Online play needs a Retrario account (a username, an email address and a password) so friends can find each other.

Which browsers work?

Chrome and Edge, on a Windows, macOS, Linux or ChromeOS computer.

Why not Firefox, Safari or a phone?

The emulator runs on several threads that share memory, which needs cross-origin isolation and SharedArrayBuffer. Retrario is built and tested on Chrome and Edge only, and other browsers get a notice. Phones and tablets cannot keep the game at 50 frames a second.

What does the first start copy, and where?

The game's files go once into the browser's private storage for this site, with the compiled code next to them: plan for about 2 GB. Each browser keeps its own copy. Settings › Storage shows what is kept, and Remove the game files frees the space. Reset this browser (Settings › Account) clears your settings but keeps the game files.

Is my progress kept?

No, not between visits. The game saves to its memory card as on the console, but here that card lives in the page's memory, so closing or reloading the tab empties it. Online matches always start from empty memory cards on both computers.

Is my data private?

The page loads no ads, no trackers and no scripts from other companies. The server counts page visits with its own visitor cookie and records the network address with its approximate country and city. Some sessions send a performance log (frame times, the number of cores, the memory, the graphics chip, the browser and counts of button presses) used to make the game run smoother. An account keeps your username, your email address and a salted hash of your password, never the password itself.

How do I play with a friend?

Both of you sign in, add each other in Community › Your friends, then one creates a match in Play online and invites the other. The steps are on Play online.

What is the Lite preset?

A lighter setting for smaller computers: the picture at the console's own resolution instead of twice it, Smooth off, one background compile thread instead of two, and background work only when needed. Computers with 4 cores or fewer, or under 8 GB of memory, start on Lite. A stronger computer that misses more than 10 % of its frames in a minute of play is offered it. Switch in Settings › Display.

What about the rights?

Game names and marks belong to their owners. Retrario is a research project built on the Play! emulator; the About page says more.

How do I ask for another game?

Sign in and open Request a game in the app. Each member can add up to 3 requests a day and vote for the others; the most voted game is the next one the project works on.

Where do I report a problem?

Use the community link in the app, on the Community screen. Settings › About has Copy a bug report: it copies the release, the browser, the controllers and the page's last log lines, ready to paste into your message.