In the world of gaming, an emulator is a piece of software or hardware that emulates or imitates a video game console. You can play retro Nintendo, Sega, and Sony games on your computer with a video game emulator and the appropriate ROM or ISO files.

Video game emulators became popular in the 1990s with the advent of personal computers and the Internet. This allowed aspiring developers to collaborate and create software that allowed them to emulate their favorite gaming consoles, such as the Atari 2600 and the Nintendo Entertainment System.

The goal of emulation is generally to replicate the experience of using the original hardware, but many game emulators include additional features such as options to integrate cheats, take screenshots, and create save states. Emulators also make it possible to play homebrew games or games designed by fans.

Most emulators today are still made by hobby developers, but major companies like Nintendo have started to capitalize on the retro gaming craze by releasing emulators for their own systems, such as the NES Classic and the SNES Classic.