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Downloading ROMs

Most games in the DOSGamePlayer catalog are not bundled into the app — only a placeholder entry sits in the library. You download the actual ROM when you decide to play.

How to download​

  1. Open any game's Game Detail page.
  2. Tap the Download button.
  3. The progress bar shows the transfer. The app uses Android's download manager so the transfer survives navigation in the app.
  4. When the file is ready, Play becomes active.

TODO: Game Detail with Download button highlighted

Wi-Fi vs mobile data​

To save your mobile bill, the app handles downloads differently depending on your network:

  • On Wi-Fi — download starts immediately.
  • On mobile data — you see a confirmation dialog ("Use cellular data to download?"). Tap Yes to proceed, No to wait until you're back on Wi-Fi.

The behavior is controlled by the Use mobile data for downloads toggle in General Settings.

Game patches​

Some games offer a separate Download Patch button (e.g. a Korean translation patch). Download the patch after the base ROM so the loader can apply it on launch.

What if the download fails?​

  • Pull-to-refresh the Game Detail page and try again.
  • Make sure your network connection is stable (see Network troubleshooting).
  • If the original URL is down (rare), the app shows an error snackbar. Try a different ROM language variant from the Game Detail page if one exists.

Where do ROMs go?​

ROMs land in the app's private storage folder, organized by system (e.g. DOS/, ARCADE/, SNES/). You don't manage these directories directly — the app handles them. To free space later, use Storage Management.

ROM size limits​

The app can run ROMs up to several hundred MB, but very large titles (typically over ~500 MB) may fail to load on lower-end devices due to RAM constraints. See Performance troubleshooting.