Emulation

The first option is the only legal one, however it is also the most expensive. On top of a $500 game system, you will also need to spend an additional $25 to get into Nintendo Classics, then another $50 on top of that to access the subscription tier that offers Nintendo 64 games. Moreover, be prepared to suddenly lose access to a game if Nintendo should decide not to renew a licensing contract here and there, or if they decide to yank it off the service for some other reason as has been the norm in streaming services across the board since 2021. However, if you're squeamish about piracy (we will not be committing any on this page, just so you know), go with that option.

The second option is a little riskier from a legal standpoint, but it will unlock the entire Nintendo 64 back catalogue. Even though most of the popular games are available on Classics, some stuff has been left out for whatever reason. Diddy Kong Racing has licensing issues, Cruis'n World is a lower-priority than Cruis'n USA, Doom 64 is only available in a remastered version that costs $50.

I said we weren't going to commit piracy on this page. That's because we're only dealing in abandonware and things that you have already purchased legitimately. Abandonware applies to games that have not been released to any other game DLC or streaming service, such as the aforementioned examples and every other N64 game that you can't find on Nintendo Classics, Xbox Game Pass, Steam, or any other platform. If you're in the US, all you need to remember are 3 court cases:

• Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc v. Bleem LLC (9th Circuit, 2000): computer software designed to emulate a videogame console on another, different technological platform is not illegal.

• Sega Enterprises Ltd v. Accolade Inc (9th Circuit, 1993): maintaining a copy of an abandoned game in a personal or public archive does not limit the licensing authority's ability to make and sell products.

• Vault Corporation v. Quaid Software Ltd (5th Circuit, 1988): 17 USC § 117(1) entitles persons who own a legitimately-purchased copy of a computer program to archival, or backup, copies of that same program.

In other words, emulators aren't illegal and neither is game emulation so long as you limit yourself to games that you personally own or have been abandoned (or are otherwise mired in Copyright Hell). Nintendo is just trying to scare you into paying it more money. Also, as of the time of writing (August 2025), there is no legal distinction between physical copies of games and downloadable licenses; therefore, if your first time playing Super Mario 64 was on Wii U Virtual Console in 2014, you're still entitled to an archival copy under Quaid.

I don't actually know how to install new software onto modded Nintendo Switch 1 consoles. However, Wii64 can be installed through the Open Shop Channel or manually with a flashdrive or SD card.

On Windows PCs and laptops, download the emulator from its project site (either Simple64's Github or M64Py's Sourceforge), then extract the contents of the ZIP file to a location on your computer somewhere. I'd recommend a folder in your Documents directory called "n64" so it's easy to find later. I've linked directly to the projects' source code repositories here so you won't have to risk Google's crap-ass AI-generated search results sending you to giveme.avir.us/n64roms/suckit.htm or whatever some SEO specialist has tricked it into thinking is the correct location. As long as you download your preferred emulator from one of these links, you'll be fine.

On Linux PCs, I know that a lot of Linux old-timers are hardliners when it comes to Flatpak, but M64Py is available from the Flathub. Any memory constraints that would make Flatpak's sandbox nature undesirable, I'm sorry to say, will also make N64 emulation undesirable, so keep that in mind please.

On Windows legacy machines, the only viable option is Project64 v.2.1, which I've archived here. I know I said "Windows 7/8", but you can actually go all the way back to Windows XP with this emulator, as long as you have a graphics card and at least 4 GB of RAM.

The Nintendo 64 was the first game console to absolutely require an analogue input source, viz. the thumbstick. While you can, theoretically, control a game using the keyboard only, you're going to encounter problems on all the games with expansive, 3D worlds.

The most cost-effective option is the Logitech F-310 gamepad. It has a USB-A wired connection so it won't cut out as readily as its somewhat more infamous wireless counterpart (remember Billionaire Implosion Day?) and it plays well with USB extenders, in case your gaming computer is too far from the sofa for the in-built cable.

Most modern (non-Nintendo) console controllers have Bluetooth connectivity, so if your gaming computer is Bluetooth capable, you can use your Xbox One or Sony PS4 controller. Of course, if your main gaming machine is a jailbroken Wii or Wii U, you won't need to worry about game control too much.

For a more authentic N64 experience, various Amazon and Newegg sellers make USB-A wired Nintendo 64 controller replicas (though a lot of them have rather strange thumbstick action). Alternatively, you probably find an original Nintendo 64 controller from your local secondhand game store and use an N64-to-USB adapter.