Affiliate disclosure: This guide contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
2026-09-07 · Explainer
Affiliate disclosure: This guide contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Recompilation turns an old console game into a real PC application. Not an emulator running the game, but the game itself, translated once into native code and compiled like any other program.
People keep asking the same question about it, and it is a simple one. Which games actually have these ports?
This is the complete cross platform answer. Three consoles have active recompilation scenes, and they are at very different stages. Below is every game with a public project, grouped by system, with a link to the deeper list for each.
Two ground rules first. Every one of these needs game files from a copy you legally own. The projects ship engine code, never game content, and most check your file before they will run. And this scene moves fast, so treat the status notes as a snapshot.
The Short Answer
| System | Playable ports | Toolchain | Maturity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo 64 | ~19 across recomp and decomp | N64Recomp, plus decomp projects | Established, most productive |
| Xbox 360 | 8 | XenonRecomp, ReXGlue | Growing fast |
| PlayStation 1 | 1 | PSXRecomp | Very early, but browser capable |
| Game Boy (Gen 1 Pokémon) | 1 hand written recreation | Not a recompiler, written in Lua | Playable, unusual case |
If you want the most to play right now, the N64 scene is where to look. If you want the most interesting technology, the PS1 side is producing browser playable builds that run on hardware nothing else reaches.
Nintendo 64
The most productive corner of the scene by a wide margin, and it has been running for two years. The N64 list splits into two kinds of project.
Recompilation takes the original game binary and mechanically translates it to C. Fast to produce, behaves exactly like the original. Wiseguy's N64Recomp is the toolchain.
Decompilation rebuilds human readable source by hand over years. Slower, but the result can be extended much further, which is why decomp ports usually have the deepest features.
Highlights from the current list:
- Zelda: Majora's Mask through Zelda64Recomp. The flagship. Mod loader, ray tracing, widescreen, high frame rates.
- Zelda: Ocarina of Time through Ship of Harkinian, a decomp project rather than a recomp.
- Banjo-Kazooie, Star Fox 64, Mario Kart 64, Harvest Moon 64, Bomberman 64, Dr. Mario 64 and more, all playable.
- Perfect Dark and Super Mario 64 through mature decomp projects.
- Dinosaur Planet, the cancelled game that became Star Fox Adventures, in early form.
The full breakdown with version numbers and status for every title is in our N64 recompiled games list.
Xbox 360
Younger than the N64 scene and moving quickly. Eight games have public projects, built on XenonRecomp or the newer ReXGlue toolkit.
- Sonic Unleashed, the port that proved the concept and still the most polished.
- Lost Odyssey, the Mistwalker JRPG that never left the 360. We have a dedicated Lost Odyssey page covering that project on its own.
- Blue Dragon, the other Mistwalker JRPG, in active development.
- Ninja Gaiden II, Ace Combat 6, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and Crackdown 2, all playable to varying degrees.
- GoldenEye 007 (XBLA), which carries an asset problem the others do not. That remaster was never released, so there is no legitimate copy to own. We cover why in the full list.
Status notes for each are in our Xbox 360 recompiled games list, and the toolkit behind it is explained in our ReXGlue explainer.
PlayStation 1
One game, and it matters more than the count suggests.
Pepsiman Recompiled shipped in July 2026 using PSXRecomp. It is the first WebAssembly first recompilation, which means it runs in a browser tab at 60fps with widescreen, corrected textures and persistent saves.
That output target is the important part. Every other project on this page produces a desktop application for x86. A WebAssembly build runs anywhere with a modern browser, including Android handhelds that no native port supports. Our PS1 recompilation explainer covers how PSXRecomp works and why the browser path changes what a compatible device even means.
The Odd One Out: Gen1Recomp
Gen1Recomp is a native recreation of Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow, and it is worth including here even though it is not a recompilation in the strict sense. It was written by hand in Lua rather than produced by a recompiler, working from the pokered disassembly.
The result behaves the same way from a player's perspective. It is a native application, it runs without an emulator, and it asks you to supply your own cartridge dump. It is also the only project here with an official build for a dedicated retro handheld.
We cover what it is in Pokémon Red and Blue in 3D and first person, and how to actually run it in our Gen1Recomp handheld setup guide.
What Hardware Runs These?
This is where recompilation earns its reputation. Because the translation happens ahead of time, a recompiled port runs far lighter than the same game under emulation.
| Device type | N64 ports | Xbox 360 ports | PS1 browser builds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows and SteamOS handhelds | Comfortable | Comfortable | Yes |
| Steam Deck OLED | Comfortable | Polished ports run well | Yes |
| Mid range PC handhelds | Fine | Often smooth where emulation was not | Yes |
| Android handhelds | Some ARM builds, patchy | Not supported | Yes, through the browser |
| Linux ARM handhelds | Some through PortMaster | Not supported | Depends on the browser |
The row that surprises people is the middle one. A mid range PC handheld that cannot run a game under Xenia can often run the recompiled port of that same game smoothly. That is the whole point of the technique.
Android owners should read our guide to running recompiled games on Android, because the answer there is more nuanced than yes or no.
Why So Few Games?
Because every port is a separate engineering project. There is no converter you point at a game.
Three things decide which games get attention, and popularity is not really one of them.
Preservation risk. Games trapped on one console with no re-release attract effort first. That is why Lost Odyssey and Ace Combat 6 have projects and why a game with a good PC version usually does not.
Technical shape. Some engines translate cleanly and some fight the whole way. A game built on a well understood engine is a much easier target.
One motivated person. Nearly every project here started because a single developer spent months on it. That is the actual bottleneck, not the tooling.
How to Follow New Projects
New projects appear on GitHub before anywhere else. Watch the N64Recomp, XenonRecomp and ReXGlue communities, and look for repositories named after a game plus "Recompiled" or "Recomp".
We update the per system lists as projects mature, so those pages are where a status change lands first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a recompiled game?
A recompiled game is an old console game that has been mechanically translated into native code for modern hardware, then compiled into a normal application. There is no emulator involved when you play it. The translation already happened, once, ahead of time.
How many games have been recompiled?
Around 29 have public projects as of September 2026. Roughly 19 on N64 across recomp and decomp work, 8 on Xbox 360, and 1 on PS1, plus the Gen1Recomp Pokémon recreation.
Is a recompiled port better than emulation?
For performance, almost always. A native port has no per frame translation cost, so it runs on hardware that could not manage the same game under an emulator. Emulation still wins on coverage, because it works for any game rather than the small number with a port.
Do I need the original game?
Yes. Every project ships engine code with no game content, and most verify your file before running. You supply a ROM or disc image from a copy you legally own.
Can I play recompiled games on Android?
Some, and it depends heavily on the system. N64 projects sometimes publish ARM builds, Xbox 360 projects do not, and the PS1 browser builds run anywhere with a modern browser. Our recompiled games on Android guide breaks it down properly.
Are recompiled ports legal?
The port code is original work and is legal. The legality of your game files depends on you owning the original. We only cover playing games you legally own. See our emulation legal status guide for the wider picture.
What is the difference between recompilation and decompilation?
Recompilation translates the compiled binary automatically. Decompilation rebuilds readable source code by hand over years. Both end in a native port, but decomp source can be extended much further. Our decompilation and recompilation explainer covers this in depth.
Related Reading
- N64 Recompiled Games List
- Xbox 360 Recompiled Games List
- PS1 Recompilation Explained
- Lost Odyssey Recompiled
- Blue Dragon Recompiled
- Recompiled Games on Android
- Decompilation and Recompilation Explained
- Xbox 360 Recompilation and ReXGlue
- Emulation Legal Status in 2026
Project status reflects these community efforts as of September 7, 2026 and will change as they evolve. Every recompiled port requires game files from a copy you legally own.
Related reading
GuideGuideGuide