Multiplayer

Play with friends online using peer-to-peer netplay.

Overview

Afterplay's multiplayer lets you play games online with friends using WebRTC peer-to-peer connections. It supports any game that originally had multiplayer — co-op, versus, or anything that used multiple controllers.

No relay server needed. Your game data goes directly between you and your friend for the lowest possible latency.

How It Works

Multiplayer uses WebRTC for a direct connection between players. The connection flow:

1. The host starts playing a game and enables multiplayer
2. A shareable link is generated (e.g. afterplay.io/multiplayer/...)
3. The client opens the link and connects
4. Both players are synced and playing together

Signaling (the initial handshake) goes through Afterplay's servers, but once connected, all game data flows directly peer-to-peer.

Starting a Multiplayer Session

As Host

There are two ways to host:

1. From a Link — When you're playing a game and someone in your Link sends a join request, accepting it starts hosting automatically
2. Share URL — A shareable multiplayer URL is generated that anyone can use to join

As Client

1. Click a multiplayer invite link, or accept a join request from a Link member
2. The game loads automatically (the host's game and save state are used)
3. You're connected and playing

Player Roles

Each player in a session has a role:

Players can switch between playing and spectating during a session.

Session Features

• Pause — Any player can pause the game. Other players see who paused it
• Ping display — See connection quality for each player in real-time
• Player slots — Up to 4 players depending on the game
• Nicknames — Set your netplay nickname in Settings > Netplay

Connection Quality

Ping is displayed for each connected player:

For the best experience, both players should have a stable internet connection. Being on the same continent helps significantly.

Settings

Go to Settings > Netplay to configure:

• Netplay Nickname — The name other players see when you join

Ending a Session

The host can end the session at any time from the Link widget. When the session ends:

• All clients are disconnected
• A "Session Over" notification appears
• Players return to their own games

Clients can also leave at any time without ending the session for other players.

Supported Platforms

Multiplayer works with any console/game that supports multiple players. Popular examples:

• SNES — Street Fighter II, Super Mario Kart, Bomberman
• Genesis — Sonic 2, Streets of Rage, NBA Jam
• NES — Contra, Double Dragon, Ice Hockey
• Game Boy Advance — (use Link Cable for GBA multiplayer)
• N64 — Mario Kart 64, GoldenEye, Super Smash Bros.
• PlayStation — Tekken 3, Crash Team Racing

For Game Boy and GBA games that used a link cable (like Pokemon trading), use the Link Cable feature instead of standard multiplayer.

Troubleshooting

Can't connect to host

• Make sure both players have a stable internet connection
• Try refreshing and reconnecting
• Check that the invite link hasn't expired

High latency / input lag

• WebRTC works best when both players are geographically close
• Close other bandwidth-heavy applications
• Use a wired connection if possible

Desync issues

• This can happen with certain games or under poor network conditions
• Try starting a fresh session
• Make sure both players are using the same emulator core