Remember the good old games which used to be available in disk cassette? Everyone misses them right? Well, today we’re going to tell you about the best ROM sites available on the internet and how you can enjoy these games in 2020. We’ll, gaming these days has come a long way and we’ve seen so many high-end games launch almost every year. Among all these popular titles, it’s good to have a taste of your roots and never forget where you belong to.
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Since it’s hard to get your hands on these cassettes and consoles, we have curated a list of some of the best and safe ROM sites. These games will give you a taste of what gaming used to be back in the 80s or 90s and if you belong to the era, prepare to go back in time.
Without further delay, let’s begin.
Best Safe ROM Sites
1. Gamulator
This is one of the most popular ROM sites on the list with a huge database. One of the best features of this website or platform is that they keep their information updated. They expand their game base regularly for various platforms that make a game available for all types of players.
Along with ROMs, this site also has a database of multiple emulators of retro consoles. Since you cannot run these ROMs without an emulator, you can download them on multiple platforms including Windows, Android, Xbox, Mac, etc. All the download files are available without too many ads or popups making it a safe ROM site.
2. Romsmania
This is another popular ROM site for downloading your favorite games and emulators. They have a big database which is not limited to one game or console. It widely spreads across multiple platforms and is available in many versions. Do note that some of the versions of consoles might not be available on all platforms. We were browsing through some sections of the website and found out that Windows has a wide range of options whereas other platforms are limited.
Romsmania is very safe and gives you a premium ad-free experience. There are a few ads on the website, but they don’t cause much nuisance. You can also use the search bar on the navigation section of the website to look for particular games you have in mind.
3. Rom Hustler
Rom Hustler is one of the oldest sites in the market. It gives you a list of all the downloadable ROMs after you click on the ROM section in the navigation bar. The platform also has a section to download emulators for the ROMs. You can use the search bar to find what you’re looking for. The extensive library of the website will solve all your problems and give you all types of games you seek.
The downfall of the website is that the database is big, but it hasn’t been updated for a long time. The versions of emulators might be outdated resulting in lags in the game and the smooth functioning of the game. Another part of the website which wasn’t appealing was the theme. It seems a little outdated according to the market trend. If you think, these are not an issue for you, Rom Hustler is one of the safest ROM sites to try out in the market.
4. Emuparadise
This is an all-in-one website that has a huge list of ROMs and emulators that are free of cost. Along with ROMs and emulators, this site also provides ISO files and game music which is quite interesting. Along with your game, now you can listen to game-specific music on your device. The website is somewhat like a community and depending on the user feedback, viruses are removed from the files as soon as a user reports it.
The downfall of this website is the ads. While browsing the website, we got a couple of popups that were irritating, and although we’re not specifically downloading files, these ads were constantly bugging us while browsing through the website. Keep this in mind before visiting the website. Also, the UI might not be friendly for some people but again, forums like these are not meant for viewing purposes.
5. The Eye
It is a directory site that has a huge list of ROMs and emulators. Apart from these, the huge database of this site contains other digital downloadable items too including Icons, comics, music, OS, softwares, etc. One of the best advantages of The Eye is the UI. The website is Ad-free and it is very easy to browse through the files. While we were not able to locate any search bar, manually searching for particular files shouldn’t be a big deal.
Being totally ad-free, the website has 0 popups and no lag while downloading any files. Also, the directory is quite big making the total size over 140 TB. You can find many digital assets on the website which might be useful for you.
6. RomUlation
This is a premium platform in our list which may or may not require a paid version depending on your requirements. For starters, you get 10,000 points after signup and 100 points are worth 100mb of files that can be downloaded from the website. Depending on the number of games you download, you can opt for the premium version which starts from $9.99 a month and $19.99 for a quarter. RomUlation is an Ad-free platform making it one of the safe ROM sites to try out.
If you’re an average gamer and play games occasionally, you need not require the paid version. Your requirements can be completed in the free version worth 10,000 points. Also, you get additional 500 points every 24 hours which is a bonus.
7. Retrostic
Retrostic is one of the safest ROM sites that can be trusted looking at the huge library of games available for gamers. Surprisingly, it has games for 51 consoles which counts over 83000. The website also has over 380 emulators that are available for multiple platforms including Android and Windows. The search feature in the navigation bar makes it easier to find the files you’re looking for among the huge database.
The plus point of the website is the ads which are very minimal and provide you a smooth user experience. Unlike other sites that are flooded with ads all over the place, Retrostic has very minimal ads limited to some pages.
8. CoolROM
This is another safe ROM site that gives users a lot of options to choose from. The website has a huge database of emulators and games which can be directly downloaded from the links which are virus free and safe. There’s no chance of getting infected but using an antivirus or defender is always advised. The website also has a couple of screenshots of the game for users who have no idea about what these games are about.
While it was easy to browse through the website, the Ads were a little irritating as they are spread all across the website. It’s all about personal choice and how you deal with these ads. Downloading files are easy without any hassles.
9. Vimm’s Lair
One of the oldest sites in the market having a very old UI. The reason behind this is the age of the website which was launched in 1997. The website has all types of consoles for multiple platforms including Android, Windows, Mac, and Linus. This website is totally safe and provides virus free links to many ROMs and games. All the files are arranged in alphabetical order and can be accessed through the homepage.
One of the best things about the website is the Ads which are minimal or non-existent. The files can be downloaded through multiple versions and not only limited to ISO. Unfortunately, a search option would have helped a lot to find files in the big library.
10. Emulator Zone
Another ROM site which has a wide range of emulators for all the popular consoles like Nintendo, Wii, and PlayStation. If you have always wanted to play some PlayStation limited games, now’s your chance. The website is easy to browse and the search bar on the right side of the page works fine. A little optimization on the search bar would make it easier to use.
Do note that this platform doesn’t have a wide range of games. Instead, it has a wide range of emulators of these consoles which get updated regularly. As the name says, the website is mostly for downloading all the retro emulators. The website has optimized ads that are normal and won’t create any barrier while downloading your files. Direct download links are given to make your work easier.
11. WoWroms
This website is another safe ROM site with a good database. We spent some time looking for common titles that were easily available on the website. The items are limited but the platform only has popular games for some of the best consoles. If you don’t have a high-end system, this website is perfect for you as it has optimized all the ROMs for different types of systems.
Apart from the downloading system, the platform also allows online mode where users can enjoy the game online itself instead of having to download on their desktops. In the end, if you have some particular game, it may or may not be available on the website. In this case, you can check the other websites we have on our list.
12. NICOBLOG
This is another alternative to all the ROM websites that uniquely provide files. Unlike other websites, this website does not host the download files on their own server. They use external third-party platforms like Mediafire and Mega. This makes it one of the safe ROM sites you’re looking for. This website provides ROMs for some of the best consoles in the market including PlayStation and PSVITA.
This platform provides full sets of ROMs which makes it easier for the user to locate which file is working and which file isn’t. Some of the files might be outdated or missing which is why these sets will come in handy for making your task easier and allowing you to focus on playing games instead of looking for the missing files or the working ROMs.
13. ROMNation
ROMNation is another popular ROM site that has been in the market for more than 20 years. It was launched in 1998 and they recently updated their website UI and optimized it for smartphones. This was a great initiative from the developers who have an understanding of their audience and know how to take care of them. The updated version of the website is easy to browse and all thanks to the search option, you can find your files with ease.
The website also introduced a login feature for the users to make sure malware and spam uploads are limited. You can choose games for various emulators including Atari 2600, SNES, Game Boy, and many more. The website has very limited ads to improve all-round user experience.
14. FreeRoms
Another old ROM site in the market that provides some of the best games in the market. Even after being in the market for 20 years, they update their collection and provide great speed and bandwidth for downloading files. They provide games for all the top emulator collections like PSP, Atari, etc and all other you can ask for. Games on the website are arranged alphabetically according to the emulators.
The downfall of the website is no search option which is not ideal considering the big database of the games. Players need to manually search for every single game alphabetically which will take time. Another downside of the website is the ads. This is so far the worst ad experience website on our list. While the download speeds are quite good, the popup ads ruin the experience.
15. Old computer ROMs
As the name says, this website has some of the old game libraries for 80s gamers. Apart from the ROMs, this website has a big collection of Emulators which makes it one of the best ROM sites in the market. If you have some doubts regarding the files or any other errors while running the games, the website also has an active forum where users can assist you in fixing your games and installers. It’s quite hard to find such forums in 2020, that too considering in such a niche.
Apart from ROMs and Emulators, this site also consists of game music and retro radio that plays gaming music for entertainment. If you love listening to that type of music, you can definitely check out that section to relive your childhood memories. Select the games by category and download your favorite classic games.
Conclusion
These are some of the best ROM sites that provide some of the games online. Some of them might or might not be good for you. Don’t blindly jump onto any site and download only after you know the files are secure and free of virus. All the sites in our list are 100% and we keep our information updated to make sure users know what they’re getting into. If you know about other popular websites, do comment below and tell us so that we can add it to our list.