MSX is rather a standard than a computer: the idea was to have common hardware and software shared by computers from many brands, like Sony, Philips, Panasonic or Yamaha. MSX computers sold well in Japan, Europe and South America.
We have about 1,100 MSX games on My Abandonware, many of them from Japan, including the first games of famous series like Metal Gear.
The quickest way: WebMSX
WebMSX runs MSX computers in your browser. Drag and drop the game file on the page, and the game starts: nothing to install.
It emulates every MSX generation, from the first MSX to the MSX turbo R, and loads cartridges, disks and tapes. It's the easiest way to try a game. For long sessions, or games that need a specific machine, install an emulator as explained below.
MSX emulators
openMSX is the most complete MSX emulator, free on Windows, Mac and Linux. fMSX is a simpler choice on Windows.
- openMSX (Windows, Mac, Linux): a very accurate emulator that runs hundreds of MSX models, now with easy menus built in. It runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs. Recommended.
- fMSX (Windows, Linux, Android): a light and easy emulator, created more than 20 years ago by Marat Fayzullin, and free. It runs the MSX, MSX2 and MSX2+.
CocoaMSX, which we used to recommend on Mac, is no longer developed: openMSX replaces it.
MSX models and system ROMs
There are four MSX generations: MSX, MSX2, MSX2+ and turbo R. A game made for the MSX2 won't run on an MSX1 machine, so choose a machine at least as recent as the game.
Most games were made for the MSX1 or the MSX2: an MSX2 machine runs almost all of them. The game page or the file name usually tells you which generation a game needs.
Emulators need the system ROMs, the built-in software of a real MSX computer. openMSX comes with C-BIOS, a free replacement: it runs most cartridge games, but not disk or tape games, nor MSX-BASIC. For those, you need the ROMs of a real machine: see our page about BIOS files. In openMSX, put them in the share/systemroms folder of openMSX, in your Documents folder on Windows, and use Test MSX hardware in its menu to check them.
Running MSX games in fMSX
Open the game file, then reset the machine: the game starts. fMSX is easy to use.
fMSX needs the MSX system ROM files in its folder: its web page lists their names.
- Click on File > Open, then select the game file.
- Click on Hardware > Reset Hardware.
- The game should start, then you can play!
Running 4x4 Off-Road Racing in fMSX.
In openMSX, it's even simpler: drop the game file on its window.
Cartridges, disks and tapes
MSX games come as cartridges (.rom), disks (.dsk) or tapes (.cas). Cartridges and disks start by themselves; a tape needs one command.
- .rom, .mx1, .mx2: cartridge images. Most Japanese games came on cartridges, and they start at once.
- .dsk: disk images. The game starts when the machine boots, as long as the machine has a disk drive (most MSX2 do).
- .cas: tape images, common in Europe. Type the loading command at the BASIC prompt, then press Enter. Try
RUN"CAS:"first, thenBLOAD"CAS:",R, thenCLOADfollowed byRUN. The game's instructions often say which one to use.
Many games are in Japanese. Fans translated many of them: a translated version carries a [tr en] tag in its file name, following the TOSEC naming convention.
I need help!
We do not provide support for running abandonware games. The MSX community is active all over the world, and very helpful.
Ask on the MSX Resource Center forums, the main MSX site in English. The openMSX manual explains the system ROMs in detail.
First written by hand, and brought up to date in October 2026 against each program's own documentation and, where it exists, its source code. Game counts and file sizes come from our own catalogue. The update was drafted with the help of an AI assistant and checked by hand before publishing. If something here is out of date, tell us.