ROMs are the software version of a video game cartridge or arcade game PCB.

ROMs are used with Emulators to enable classic games to run on newer operating systems. 

Nearly all retro gaming devices use ROM files to run the games.

The Polycade Arcade Gaming Software (AGS) includes emulators pre-installed & pre-configured, making it easy for anyone to get a ROM running. 

Where can I get ROMs?

Aside from those sold in the Polycade AGS store, ROMs have questionable legality, which can make them hard to acquire.

Once I have ROMs, how do I add them to Polycade?

See here: https://polycade.com/pages/helphq#/collection/2972/article/11897

How do I know if a ROM file has a virus?

You can generally determine if a ROM file is authentic by inspecting it's file extension. 

The majority of viruses on the internet have the extension ".exe", ROM files will never have the .exe extension. 

The file extension for a ROM file will often be ".zip", and if you look inside the zip you will see the actual ROM file extension. 

For older console games, the ROM extension will vary depending on the console it's intended for. For example, ROMs for the classic system Genesis have one of the following extensions: ".md", ".gen", or ".smd".

Note that arcade ROMs are a little different from console ROMs in that arcade ROMs typically have multiple files inside the .zip as opposed to console ROMs which usually only have 1 file.

See a full list of valid ROM file extensions here: https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/List_of_filetypes

Polycade does not distribute unlicensed ROM files. We do not encourage you to pirate ROMs. We are not responsible for computer viruses you contract as a result of information mentioned on this website.