RetroReadyRetro game scanner · iPhone & Android
Know exactly which copy you have.
Snap a cartridge, disc or box. RetroReady reads the label, the product code and the box, then tells you the exact release (title, platform, region and edition) and what you need to play it tonight.
3 free scansNo accountPhotos never kept
- Code on the itemNUS-NBKP-EURBanjo-Kazooie
Nintendo 64 · Europe - Code on the itemCGB-BYTI-ITAPokémon Crystal
Game Boy Color · Italy - Code on the itemNUS-NBKJ-JPNBanjo-Kazooie
Nintendo 64 · Japan - Code on the itemDMG-AXQP-NOEPokémon Trading Card Game
Game Boy · Europe - Code on the itemHDR-0002Virtua Fighter 3tb
Dreamcast · Japan
How it works
Three photos. One exact answer.
RetroReady reads what's printed on your copy, the way a collector would.
Snap it
Take the front, and if you like the back and what's inside the box. Up to three photos.
We read the clues
The label, the product code, rating badges, edition banners, stickers and price tags: whatever your copy shows.
Know your copy
The exact release, how we know, what deserves a closer look, and what you need to play it.
Your copy, not just the game
The edition, region and code, read off the item
Two copies of the same game can be different releases. RetroReady tells them apart.
- Title, platform, region and editionFrom the label, the product code and the box.
- Reissues and specialsBudget lines, magazine covermounts, bundles and revisions you can see evidence for.
- Your copy's storyWhat its stickers, price tags and stamps suggest about where it was sold.
See how we know
Every answer shows its clues
No black box: each result lists what in your photos points to it, and what doesn't add up.
- The evidence"Product code on the label", "rating badge on the box": the clues behind the answer.
- Worth a closer lookA manual from another region, a disc that doesn't match its case.
- Honest about limitsIt never calls a copy genuine or fake, and it says when a photo is too blurry to be sure.
Play it tonight
Then it helps you play it
Will it run on your console, and what do you need to hook it up? Ask in plain words.
- For your setupTell it your consoles and where you live; it answers for them.
- Eight deep divesWhat you need, versions, history, buying, known issues, accessories, the console, mods.
- Your shelfEvery scan stays on your phone with its photos and your questions.
Regions, colour-coded
PAL, NTSC-U, NTSC-J: at a glance
Each region keeps one colour everywhere in the app, so an import stands out on your shelf. How region locks work.
The release for Europe, Australia and other PAL countries.
The release for North America.
The release for Japan.
The release for South Korea.
Plays anywhere: most PC games.
What RetroReady won't do
- Call a copy genuine or fake. It shows what's worth a closer look; you decide.
- Value your games. It's about which copy you have and how to play it.
- Pretend to be sure. Answers are written by AI and can be wrong; follow-up answers are not fact-checked, and the fun facts it shows come only from checked reference pages.
Guides
Retro hardware, explained
Every fact linked to the page that states it.
Which consoles play older games? Backward compatibility, console by console
Which consoles and handhelds play games from older systems, which models dropped it, and how to tell which model you have.
How retro games save: batteries, EEPROM, flash and memory cards
Where each retro console keeps your saves, which cartridges rely on a battery, and what that means for an old save today.
Old PC games and copy protection on modern Windows
Which old PC copy protections, such as SafeDisc and SecuROM, are blocked on Windows 10 and 11, which still work, and where to look for fixes.
PAL vs NTSC: what it means for your retro games
What PAL and NTSC mean for retro games: which regions use them, 50 vs 60 Hz speed, PAL video quirks and what to check before buying an import.
How to read the product code on a retro game (SLES, SLUS, NUS, DMG and more)
What the code on a retro game's label, box or spine tells you: Nintendo's DMG and NUS codes, Sony's SLES and SLUS, Sega's MK and T codes.
Region locking on retro consoles, console by console
Which retro consoles block imports, how each one does it (cartridge shape, lockout chip or start-up check) and what gets around it.
From the blog
Fresh from the shelf
Questions
Good to know
Is RetroReady free?
Your first 3 scans are free, with no account. After that you can choose a yearly, monthly or weekly plan: unlimited scans, fair use. There is no free trial that turns into a subscription.
Which games does it recognise?
Cartridges, discs and boxes from the 1980s to the 2000s, including NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PSP, Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, Xbox and PC.
Does it tell me what my game is worth?
No. RetroReady tells you which release you have, what in your photos points to it, and how to play it. It does not value games.
Can it spot a fake?
It points out things in your photos worth a closer look, like a manual from another region or a disc that doesn't match its case. It never calls a copy genuine or fake: check anything that matters before you buy or sell.
What happens to my photos?
They are sent to identify the game and are not kept on our servers. Your scans are saved on your phone. The details are in the privacy policy.
Your shelf has stories. Read them.
RetroReady is coming to the App Store and Google Play. Your first 3 scans are free.
