Netplay finally works well enough that friends who live in different time zones can share a couch that isn’t there. The catch: not every emulator handles online multiplayer the same way, and picking the wrong one drops you into a laggy lobby that dies after two matches. These eight PC apps are the ones that actually make emulator online multiplayer worth the setup, covering GameCube, N64, PS1, PS2, SNES, and one path that lets any single-player emulator become couch-multiplayer over the internet.
What to look for in an emulator with netplay
- Built-in lobbies so you don’t need to trade IPs on Discord
- Rollback or input-delay netcode — the wrong one at long distance makes fighting games unplayable
- Traversal server or STUN for players stuck behind CGNAT
- Same-version enforcement so mismatched builds don’t desync three minutes in
- Cross-platform netplay (Windows to Linux or macOS) if your group is mixed
- A working alternative when netplay is bad, like Parsec’s shared-controller path
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphin Emulator | GameCube and Wii netplay | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open source | Free |
| RetroArch | Multi-system netplay for arcade and 16-bit | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open source | Free |
| Project64 | N64 with rollback via community fork | Windows | Free, open source | Free |
| PCSX2 | PS2 online play (limited) | Windows, Linux | Free, open source | Free |
| Parsec | Any emulator, sharing your local session | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free tier | Team plan starts $9.99/mo |
| Snes9x | SNES netplay for co-op RPGs | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open source | Free |
| Kaillera / EmuLinker-SF | Arcade and neo-geo netplay servers | Windows | Free, open source | Free |
| mGBA | GBA link cable over the network | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open source | Free |
The apps
1. Dolphin Emulator — Best for GameCube and Wii
Dolphin Emulator ships with the cleanest netplay on desktop. Native traversal server for NAT punch-through, per-game controller mapping that persists across sessions, and same-version enforcement that prevents desyncs. Mario Kart Double Dash and Super Smash Bros. Melee both play cleanly at 100-150ms latency once you and your friends install the same build.
Where it falls short: Only GameCube and Wii. Motion Plus games (Wii Sports Resort) are hit-or-miss over netplay. Wii NAND state has to match between hosts.
Pricing: Free, open source. Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux Download: dolphin-emu.org Bottom line: The pick for GameCube and Wii online. Nothing else on desktop is this reliable.
2. RetroArch — Best multi-system netplay
RetroArch has netplay in every core that supports it (Beetle PSX, Genesis Plus GX, Snes9x, Mesen, Beetle SGX, MAME, plenty more). One friend hosts, others connect via the built-in lobby list. Rollback netcode landed in the fighting-game cores in 2024, which finally makes Third Strike playable on the internet.
Where it falls short: Netplay is per-core; some cores support it, some don’t. Same-content check demands byte-identical ROMs, which trips up merged vs. split arcade sets. The lobby list mixes public and password-locked rooms.
Pricing: Free, open source. Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux Download: retroarch.com Bottom line: The pick if your library spans multiple 16- and 32-bit systems.
3. Project64 (community fork) — Best for N64
The community-maintained Project64 fork brings modernized netplay to Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros., and Perfect Dark. It uses rollback netcode where the game engine allows and standard delay-based netcode elsewhere. Not the mainline Project64 you may remember — grab the fork from the community wiki.
Where it falls short: Windows only. First-party Project64 without the fork is not competitive on netplay. Anti-cheat scanners occasionally flag the fork; whitelist the folder.
Pricing: Free, open source. Platforms: Windows Bottom line: The pick for Mario Kart 64 and Smash 64 online, especially with the ParaLLEl-RDP renderer.
4. PCSX2 — Best for PS2 online (limited)
PCSX2 does not have general netplay, but it can join emulated PS2 online lobbies for the handful of games that used PS2 online services (SOCOM 2, Killzone). Community-run DNS servers (Xlink Kai emulation, XeNiA, PCSX2Net) fill in for the shut-down first-party infrastructure.
Where it falls short: Very narrow use case. Config is finicky and per-game. Some games need patched ISOs, which raises its own set of concerns.
Pricing: Free, open source. Platforms: Windows, Linux Download: pcsx2.net Bottom line: The pick only if you specifically want PS2 games that were online at launch.
5. Parsec — Best fallback for anything without netplay
Parsec ignores the emulator’s netplay stack entirely. You launch any single-player emulator (RPCS3, Yuzu, Ryujinx, Cemu — anything), and Parsec shares your session with a friend as if they were sitting next to you with a second controller. Latency depends on your upload speed, but under 40ms is common in the same continent.
Where it falls short: Uses your bandwidth (10-20 Mbps upload for 1080p60). The free tier is fine for two players; more requires the Teams plan. Not truly peer-to-peer — Parsec’s relay handles connection.
Pricing:
- Free: 1-1 sessions
- Paid: Teams starts $9.99/mo per host for multi-player rooms
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux Download: parsec.app Bottom line: The pick when the emulator you want has no netplay of its own.
6. Snes9x — Best for SNES netplay
Snes9x ships built-in netplay for two-player SNES co-op — Secret of Mana, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Contra III. Delay-based netcode is fine for cooperative games; competitive SNES netplay lives on RetroArch’s rollback cores now.
Where it falls short: Two players max. Netplay UI is 2010s vintage. Emulator itself is single-system only.
Pricing: Free, open source. Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux Download: snes9x.com Bottom line: The pick for classic SNES co-op with one specific friend.
7. Kaillera / EmuLinker-SF — Best for arcade netplay
Kaillera (via the modern EmuLinker-SF server) is the legacy arcade netplay backend. Public servers still host lobbies for Final Burn Alpha, MAME, and NES/SNES cores that support it. The netcode is dated but the community is stable.
Where it falls short: Windows-only clients. The public servers rotate and community-run infrastructure is not centralized. Fighting games without rollback prefer FightCade.
Pricing: Free, open source. Bottom line: The pick for arcade netplay for anyone who used Kaillera in the 2000s and wants that back.
8. mGBA — Best for GBA link cable over the network
mGBA simulates the Game Boy Advance’s link cable, and starting in 3.0 that link works over TCP. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire trades and battles work between two mGBA copies on the internet. Same for Mario Kart Super Circuit.
Where it falls short: GBA only. Two players only. Emulated link cable is more sensitive to jitter than modern netplay.
Pricing: Free, open source. Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux Download: mgba.io Bottom line: The pick for Pokemon trades between two people who don’t share a couch.
How to pick the right one
If it’s GameCube or Wii, pick Dolphin Emulator. If your library spans many systems, pick RetroArch and lean on rollback cores where they exist. If it’s N64, pick the Project64 community fork. For SNES co-op, pick Snes9x. For arcade, pick Kaillera / EmuLinker-SF. For anything that has no netplay at all, use Parsec to share your local session with a friend. For GBA link, pick mGBA.
Skip PCSX2 netplay unless you specifically want PS2 launch-era online games — for everything else it’s more work than it’s worth. And keep Parsec as the fallback for the day a friend wants to play something Yuzu or Cemu emulates and neither of you wants to learn a new emulator’s netplay quirks.
FAQ
How much latency is playable? Below 60ms feels local. 60-120ms is workable for co-op and single-player-with-audience games. Above 150ms, only turn-based games hold up. Fighting games with rollback tolerate 100+ms; games with delay-based netcode don’t.
Do I need to open ports? Dolphin’s traversal server handles most home routers. RetroArch’s netplay works without port forwarding if the host has UPnP enabled. Parsec relays through its infrastructure so no port work is needed.
Can I play with someone on a different OS? Dolphin cross-play (Windows to Linux to macOS) works. Same for RetroArch. Project64 fork is Windows only. Parsec is cross-OS by design.
Are all these emulators safe? Grab every emulator here from its own developer site, never from mirror listings. Anti-cheat in modern shooters occasionally flags Dolphin or RPCS3; that’s a false positive.
What about Nintendo Switch or PS3 online? Ryujinx’s LDN mods enable local Switch wireless over the internet with some effort. RPCS3 has no first-class netplay for PS3 online services — Parsec is the practical answer.
