Summary
- RMG-K N64 emulator gains rollback netcode, smoothing online play, and cutting input delay.
- Rollback is promising but limited to 1v1 for now; 3+ players aren’t supported.
- GekkoNet-based code is bringing smoother netplay to PS2 and other classic titles.
When it comes to retro gaming, nothing beats having the authentic hardware in front of you while you play your favorite games. However, sometimes you just have to play the original Super Smash Bros with your friends overseas, and having a physical N64 just won’t cut it. Fortunately, emulators allow us to play these classics online with friends, as if we were huddled around an actual console, albeit with a bit of lag.
Well, here’s some good news for people who like their online play. Someone has added rollback code to an N64 emulator, and the initial impressions are already pretty positive.
Retro titles are getting even better, and it’s all thanks to decompilation.
Rollback netcode has arrived on the N64 emulation scene
And things are looking smooth already
As spotted by PC Gamer, the RMG-K N64 emulator has just received rollback netcode. If you’ve never heard of it before, it’s the gold standard for lag-free gameplay online right now. You’ll usually find it in fighting games, where every frame matters in an online environment, but people are finding ways to implement it in other genres and systems, too.
The rollback feature in RMG-K isn’t perfect just yet. The biggest issue is that it can’t handle more than two people right now, so that big online GoldenEye splitscreen bash may have to wait. However, if you want to 1v1 someone in the classic James Bond title, you’ll find that the new netcode already provides a much better experience.
New update for the netplay N64 emulator (RMG-K) adds rollback to every title. This means that input delay is greatly reduced and desyncs are far more uncommon. This morning we managed to play from Spain to Australia with 4 frames of delay! Before this we had to do 9!!!
— Graslu00 (@graslu00.bsky.social) 2026-05-17T04:25:38.568Z
This rollback tech is based on the GekkoNet framework, and PC Gamer notes that people are already using this code to bring the PS2 title Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike onto PC with netplay. It seems it won’t be long before all the multiplayer classics become much more fun and easier to play online.
