How to open .DSM files on Windows
To open .DSM files on Windows, install and open DeSmuME.
Step-by-step instructions
- Install and open DeSmuME.
- In DeSmuME, use the movie playback option (or the documented command-line option) to play the .DSM movie file.
Recommended software
- VS Code
- Notepad++/TextEdit
- jq (CLI)
Alternative methods
- Open .DSM in a browser-based viewer if desktop apps fail.
- Try opening .DSM on Windows with a secondary app to rule out app-specific issues.
- Convert .DSM only with trusted tools when direct opening is not possible.
Common issues
The .DSM file opens in the wrong app or won’t open
A .DSM is not a normal video file; file managers may associate it with unrelated apps or show it as unknown.
- Open DeSmuME first, then use its movie playback function to select the .DSM file.
- If double-clicking is required, change the file association to DeSmuME on your desktop OS.
Playback desyncs or does not reproduce the same run
DeSmuME movies depend on emulator behavior and settings; mismatches can cause the replay to diverge from the original recording.
- Try playing the movie in the same emulator (DeSmuME) and keep settings consistent with the recording environment.
- If available, consult format notes/reference material (for example TASVideos) to understand required conditions for deterministic playback.
File is corrupt or incomplete
If the download was interrupted or the file was modified, DeSmuME may refuse to play it or playback may fail.
- Re-download or re-copy the file from the original source.
- If you received it via chat/email, ask the sender to re-send the original file without modification.
Security note
.DSM is a data file consumed by an emulator; while it is not a script or executable, opening untrusted files can still be risky if a parser has vulnerabilities—prefer trusted sources.