When I think of browser-based games, I usually picture simple 2D titles that could probably run on a toaster. You know, the kind of games high school kids play on their school iPads because the devices can’t download games from the App Store.

Now imagine my shock when I casually came across someone on X posting a video of Skate 3 running in a browser. For absolutely free, by the way. I honestly thought it was just Xbox Cloud Gaming, but then he dropped a link, and lo and behold, Skate 3 was running right there in a browser tab.

The video and link were taken down posthaste, which wasn’t surprising given the copyright issues involved. But that didn’t stop sites like Ported2Browser and Recompiled Games from collecting links to put together a bunch of browser-ported games, including AAA titles, with hundreds of games available at the time of writing.

GTA 5

I got the entire campaign running in a browser, without downloading the full game

What’s a better way to get ready for GTA 6 than playing the entire GTA 5 campaign directly in your browser? That’s what I thought when I found a browser port of Grand Theft Auto V. I initially tried running it in Chrome, but I got stuck on the loading screen. My Chrome settings were probably messing with the game because I switched to Brave, and it worked. In less than three minutes, I was playing the iconic opening mission, titled “Prologue.”

I use an integrated GPU, Intel Iris Xe to be precise, so the experience wasn’t really smooth. The graphics looked closer to the PS3 version, and I was getting around 15fps. Still, for a game where I didn’t have to pay or download over 100GB of files, I will totally take that.

Besides, if I had a high-end dedicated GPU like an RTX 4070, I would most likely be getting 60 fps. Earlier GTA titles, such as GTA: Vice City, ran much more smoothly on my laptop because they require fewer resources.

Skate 3

The game that might have started the whole thing

Skate 3 was actually the first AAA game I tested in my browser, and I think it was one of the first games that kicked off this whole AAA-to-browser frenzy. I mean, who would’ve thought we’d get to a point where you could open a browser tab and start skating around Port Carverton?

The project says it uses a fan-made engine written in Rust and compiled for the web, with WebGPU handling the graphics. It also asks you to provide data from your own copy of Skate 3, converted for the browser build. But for some reason, even though I don’t own a copy of Skate 3, the game worked for me. It was even running at a little over 20 fps with keyboard and controller support.

Cyberpunk 2077

Night City looks impressive, but the browser version needs work

I was really curious to see how Cyberpunk 2077 would run in a browser. After all, it’s one of the most demanding games ever made, so I wasn’t expecting a smooth experience. And, well, it ran like dog water.

This time, I don’t think my PC specs were the only problem. The version I tried on Ported2Browser was clearly marked as a work in progress, with a warning about potential game-breaking bugs. The textures were all over the place, there were visual glitches everywhere, and getting the game to load took a very long time.

I eventually got enough of a glimpse to understand what the project was trying to achieve, but I wouldn’t call it a playable experience yet. It’s more of a demonstration of what’s possible than a way to enjoy Cyberpunk 2077 from start to finish.

Still, I find it fascinating that developers are even attempting something this ambitious. Cyberpunk is a massive game with complex environments, effects, and systems. Getting any part of it running inside a browser is impressive, even if the current result needs plenty of work.

Halo: Combat Evolved

I finally got to experience the original Halo without owning an Xbox

I’ve always been a PlayStation fanboy, so I never really got the chance to own an Xbox or play Halo: Combat Evolved when it first came out. I know, I know, It’s one of those gaming classics I’ve somehow managed to miss

Besides, the remake, Campaign Evolved, got ported to the PS5 a couple of months ago, but that cost $49.99. At least I can now run the OG flawlessly in my browser with functional multiplayer. It even includes the campaign, so I can play through the story rather than being limited to a short demo.

Resident Evil 4

I got to revisit one of my favorite horror franchises without installing the full game

I’m a huge Resident Evil fan. I’ve played several entries in the franchise, including the most recent installment, Resident Evil Requiem, on my PlayStation 5. So naturally, when I saw Resident Evil 4 listed on Ported2Browser as playable, I was very happy.

It’s a PS2 port, so I was expecting it to run well even with my integrated graphics card, and it did for the most part. It ran smoothly, but controls were a bit of a problem, and there was stuttering here and there.

Of course, I wouldn’t confuse this with the polished experience you’d get on a proper gaming console. Projects like this often have missing features, performance issues, and compatibility problems, and the exact experience depends on which build you’re using. But if you’re a Resident Evil fan who’s curious about these experimental ports, it’s another interesting one to check out.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies

You can jump into classic Zombies maps without installing Black Ops

Call of Duty Zombies is usually a game mode in major COD titles. You can find Zombies modes in games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, Black Ops Cold War, and Black Ops 6. But the browser port is a standalone game, offering classic Zombies maps, including Kino der Toten and other familiar locations.

You don’t need the full COD Black Ops game to get started with the mode, although the first launch can take a while. I won’t lie, the performance was pretty horrendous. Even with the resolution set to Low, it was still very laggy, and I doubt I even hit 10fps. I can’t really tell if it was an issue with my laptop specs because I was expecting it to run smoothly at least in low resolution.

But your experience might differ, so it’s worth a try. Just don’t assume every map, mode, or multiplayer feature will work exactly like it does in the original game.

How is all of this even possible, and is it legal?

AI agents like Claude Code and Codex are now sufficiently smart to help solo developers or fans reverse-engineer these games and speed up the process of rebuilding older game engines. Meanwhile, technologies like WebAssembly, WebGL, and WebGPU supported by modern browsers make it possible to run complex software in a browser.

Legally, reverse engineering a game isn’t automatically illegal, but redistributing copyrighted code or original game assets can create problems. And publishers aren’t just going to sit back and watch their games get distributed this way.

Some of these browser-based games have already been hit with DMCA takedown notices. One example is the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 browser port, which was taken offline after a DMCA request. Even the GTA 5 port got taken down like two hours after it initially dropped, but people managed to bring it back up. So, don’t be surprised when your favorite game gets randomly taken down.