Blog · October 16, 2026

How To Play PC Ports And Decompilations On Mac And Windows

Fan-made PC ports, decompilations and recompilations turn classic console games into programs that run natively on your computer. There is no emulator involved, and they often add extras like widescreen, higher frame rates and mods. Here is how to get one running on a Mac or a Windows PC, and the three ways people do it.

What You Need

Two things: the project, which is free community-built code, and your own copy of the game, such as a ROM or a disc image. These projects ship code only. Nobody hands you the game, and Decomp Buddy never downloads one.

New to the terms? Read what a decompilation, a recompilation and a native port are.

Way One: Do It By Hand

Find the project on GitHub, open its Releases page and download the file for your computer (Windows, macOS or Linux, and sometimes Intel or Apple Silicon). Then read the README to find out which game file it wants and which folder it goes in. It works, and it is how everyone started, but every project has its own rules, so every game is a fresh round of README homework.

Way Two: Use A Launcher

A launcher keeps a catalog of projects and installs them from their releases, so you are not hunting for downloads. Two are worth knowing.

Quiver Launcher

According to its own site (checked October 16, 2026), Quiver Launcher is a free, open-source app for finding, installing and running community-built PC ports, recompilations and recreations of classic games. It is available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, installs projects from their GitHub or GitLab releases, and keeps them up to date.

Decomp Buddy

Decomp Buddy is a free, open-source app for Mac, Windows and Linux, with 1080 games across 38 consoles in its catalog. Its approach is to do the README homework for you: it turns each project's instructions into a plan (which download fits your computer, which game file you supply, which folder it goes in), then checks the file you pick against the checksums the project publishes before anything is installed. Every game in the catalog has a ready-made plan, so using them needs no AI key. Updates carry your game files over and back up your saves first.

Quiver details come from quiverlauncher.com as of October 16, 2026. Check their site for the latest.

Which Should You Use?

Both are free and open source, so trying one does not rule out the other. If you want Android, Quiver is the one that lists it. If the step you dread is the game file (which one, which region, which folder), Decomp Buddy checks yours against what the project needs and puts it in the right place. Pick the one that handles the part you would rather not do yourself.

Common Questions

Does A Port Replace An Emulator?

They answer the same wish in different ways. An emulator imitates the console. A port or recompilation is the game rebuilt to run as a normal program on your computer, which is why they often come with options like widescreen, higher frame rates and mods.

Does Decomp Buddy Download Games?

No. It never downloads a ROM or a disc image. You point it at your own copy, and it checks that it is the right one.

Which Consoles Are Covered?

38 consoles right now, from the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation to the Wii and PC. The full list is searchable, and the blog has a Top 10 of the week's new releases.