Support

Questions, bug reports, or feedback about romm5? Email hello@romm.games and we'll get back to you within two business days.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need before romm5 will do anything?

A self-hosted RomM server, version 5 or newer, reachable from your Apple TV. romm5 is only a client: it ships no games, no BIOS or firmware, and no cloud. If you don't run RomM yet, start with the RomM documentation. RomM 4.x and earlier are not supported.

How does romm5 find my server?

Automatically, in most homes: romm5 tries the hostname romm against your network's DNS search domains (for example romm.lan), plus romm.local, over HTTPS and HTTP (including port 8080). If discovery misses, you can always type the address — including reverse-proxy or VPN addresses like Tailscale.

Is pairing safe? Where does my password go?

Your RomM password is never typed into romm5. Pairing uses RomM 5's device-authorization flow: the TV shows a QR code and a short code, you approve it while signed in to RomM on another device, and the approved token is stored in the Apple TV's Keychain. You can revoke a device from RomM at any time.

Where do the games come from?

From your server, and only your server. When you press Play, romm5 downloads the game from RomM for that session and cleans up after itself — no permanent ROM library accumulates on the Apple TV. You are responsible for supplying lawfully obtained game and firmware files to your own RomM library.

Can romm5 save and restore my progress?

Yes. romm5 syncs save states back to RomM and can restore them the next time you launch the same game. Unsynced saves are kept until RomM accepts them, so progress is tied to your library rather than a single Apple TV.

Which systems can it play?

romm5 bundles libretro emulator cores built from pinned source at release time — nothing is downloaded at runtime. See the current system list; the exact lineup is published with each release, and titles on unsupported platforms are labeled in the library before any download happens. Systems that require hardware GPU rendering (like N64 and PSP) are not supported.

My server isn't found / connection fails. What should I check?

First, open your RomM web UI from another device on the same network and note the exact URL that works — then enter that same address in romm5. Common culprits: RomM older than version 5, self-signed certificates the Apple TV doesn't trust, reverse proxies that block unknown hostnames (SNI), and VPN-only servers while the Apple TV isn't on the VPN.

Is romm5 affiliated with the RomM project?

No. romm5 is an independent, third-party client. RomM — including its name and logo — belongs to the RomM project. We aim to be a good ecosystem citizen: romm5 speaks RomM's documented API and inherits its permission model.