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6 Best SWF Players to Watch Flash Videos, Games and Animations

AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player

  • Play SWF files both on Windows and Mac operating systems.
  • Play SWF files with high-resolution images and clear sound smoothly.
  • Create, organize, and manage your favorite SWF file playlist instantly.
  • Adjust visual effects, audio track, subtitles, etc., before playing SWF video.

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6 Best SWF Players to Watch Flash Videos, Games and Animations

Q1: What opens SWF files?

Q2: Can VLC play SWF files?

Q3: Can Chrome play SWF files?

SWF is a discontinued Adobe Flash file format with a .swf file extension. Many people ask about playing SWF files online and offline. However, not all media players can play SWF files. So, you need to use a standalone SWF player to open and view SWF files because Adobe stopped supporting Flash Player on December 31, 2020. This article will give you six ultimate SWF format players for opening .swf files on Windows, Mac, and online. Just read and follow.

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Part 1. What Is SWF Format

The full abbreviation of SWF is Small Web Format. Sometimes it is also called as ShockWave format. SWF is an Adobe Flash file format developed for multimedia, vector graphics and ActionScript. In another word, SWF is widely used for video and vector-based animations and games. You can see many SWF animations or games while surfing the Internet. Before, you can open the SWF files on the web by installing the Adobe Flash Player plug-in.

But Flash Player came under growing fire for a number of reasons, including poor performance, high battery consumption on mobile devices, several security flaws found in the program, and closed platform architecture. Then, Adobe discontinued Flash Player support on December 31, 2020.

However, most video players do not support SWF format. If you want to overcome SWF playback failures, you can use third-party SWF player software to play .swf files smoothly.

Part 2. Top 6 SWF Players for Windows and Mac

1AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player

Platform: Windows, Mac

You can get easy control by using AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player. It is an awesome SWF player for Mac and Windows. There are various options you can get before, during and after playing SWF files offline. The SWF player allows users to play 4K/1080p HD videos with encoding H.265 video and media file. Thus, you can get smooth SWF playback with the real high-resolution image and crystal-clear sound.

By the way, you can play Blu-ray disc, folder and ISO image files on PC and Mac with the home theater entertainment, as well as DVD disc folder, ISO and IFO files from different counties and places. You can enjoy not only SWF files, but also Blu-ray and DVD movies with the SWF player on Windows and Mac.

Recommendation

  • Play SWF files in 4K UHD and 1080p HD quality with the H.265 codec support.
  • Customize SWF video effects including hue, holiness, contrast, saturation, gamma and more.
  • Select subtitles and audio tracks before watching SWF files.
  • Select scenes, take snapshots and apply other customizations to your SWF file.
  • The SWF player works with Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP and Mac OS X 10.7 or above.
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PROS

  • Supports multiple file formats including SWF.
  • High-quality playback with smooth performance.
  • User-friendly interface for easy navigation.

CONS

  • Require a paid license for full functionality.

2SWF File Player

Platform: Windows

SWF File Player

SWF File Player is a free SWF file player for Windows 10 and other Windows versions that helps you quickly open SWF files and read metadata tags from the file header. When playing a SWF file, the software will automatically resize the program window to fit the content and display it. Thus, you can watch SWF videos on the original display. In addition, it is also a SWF game player that can be used to play Flash games from SWF files.

Main Features

  • The SWF player freeware is clean and easy to use.
  • Show metadata tags of your SWF file on Windows in seconds.
  • Support FWS (uncompressed SWF) and CWS (compressed SWF).
  • Support other media formats playback like VOB, FLAV, MOV, RMVB, etc.

PROS

  • Free to download and use.
  • Lightweight software, doesn't consume much system resources.
  • Simple interface, easy to use for basic SWF file playback.

CONS

  • Limited features compared to more robust SWF players.
  • Development and updates may be sporadic.
  • Lack of advanced features such as editing or converting SWF files.

3Elmedia Player

Platform: Mac

Elmedia Player for Mac

SWF & FLV Player for Mac has changed its name to Elmedia Player since July 2010. It supports over 70 popular video/audio formats and effortlessly controls SWF playback on Mac. It also supports browsing websites to search for the SWF files you need. If you want to play SWF files on a bigger screen, you can stream them to Chromecast, AirPlay, Roku, and DLNA-enabled devices with this free SWF player for Mac.

Main Features

  • Use the built-in web-browser to play SWF videos by URL directly
  • Stream the video or audio file from iTunes, Mac and other AirPlay devices to Chromecast, AirPlay and DLNA-enabled devices.
  • Control the playback with the Mac SWF player.
  • Advanced options for adjusting audio and video settings to optimize the playback experience.

PROS

  • Supports a wide range of video and audio formats.
  • Provides a convenient browser extension for downloading online videos.
  • Allows creating and managing playlists easily.
  • Offers a clean and user-friendly interface.

CONS

  • Some advanced features are only available in the Pro version.
  • Limited options for customization compared to some other media players.
  • Customer support may not be as responsive or extensive.

4iSwiff

Platform: Mac

iSwiff

iSwiff is a SWF player for Mac OS X that can play outside a web browser. You can use iSwiff to play SWF files by selecting an SWF file and using “Get Info” to play SWF games, animations, and movies without using a web browser like Chrome or Safari. Furthermore, you can use Mac SWF Player to resize the window or watch SWF videos in full-screen mode, free from browser toolbars and advertisements.

Main Features

  • Use Adobe Flash web plugin (NPAPI edition) to play SWF files on Mac.
  • Open SWF files via iSwiff with the adjustable screen size.
  • Simple and intuitive user interface for browsing and playing SWF content.
  • Support for basic playback controls such as play, pause, rewind, and fast forward.
  • Customizable settings for adjusting playback quality and other preferences.
  • Support for both local SWF files and online SWF content through URLs.

PROS

  • Allows playback of Flash content on macOS devices
  • User-friendly interface.
  • Customizable settings.
  • Regular updates for performance and security.

CONS

  • Limited functionality compared to modern web technologies.
  • Potential security risks.
  • No longer actively maintained.

55KPlayer

Platform: Mac, Windows

5K Player Interface

5KPlayer is Multimedia Player software developed by DearMob, Inc. It not only supports playing all kinds of audio and video formats, including SWF files, but it can also download and save Flash videos and games in SWF format for free at super fast speed and pristine quality. Therefore, if you have SWF files and want to play them, 5KPlayer, which is good at playing SWF videos, games, and movies from almost all websites, is also a suitable choice.

PROS

  • Supports playback of high-resolution videos, up to 5K.
  • Offers a wide range of media format compatibility.
  • Includes features like AirPlay streaming and online video downloading.
  • User-friendly interface.

CONS

  • Occasional stability issues reported by users.
  • May prompt users to install additional software during setup.
  • Requires a relatively high amount of system resources for optimal performance.

6FVC Free Video Player

Platform: Online (but need to download a launcher)

FVC Free Video Player Interface

FVC Free Video Player is a 100% free SWF player for Windows 11/10/8/7 and macOS 10.7 or later. It can play any popular multimedia file in all formats, whether SWF or MP4, MKV, FLV, AVI, etc. With it, you can enjoy the original video quality, 720p HD, 1080p HD, and even UHD 4K. Before playing SWF video files, you can also adjust brightness, contrast, etc., parameters and select the audio track and subtitle in this player to meet your preferences.

PROS

  • Play all popular video formats smoothly.
  • Watch 360-degree videos and movies in the browser.
  • Support UHD 4K, 1080p HD, and 720 HD resolution.
  • Adjust playing effects and customize the playback process.

CONS

  • Have to install a small launcher first.
  • A bit slow when uploading the big file.
  • Limited features compared to the desktop version.

Part 3. How to Open .swf Files

In this section, we take the top 1 SWF player mentioned in the article, AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player, as an example to show you briefly how to open .swf files.

1. Launch the Blu-ray Player on your computer after installation.

Guide Screen

2. Click "Open File" to add your SWF file to the SWF player.

Open Video File

3. Your SWF file will start playing automatically. You can click the rectangle icon on the lower right corner of the SWF file player to enter into full screen mode.

Play Video

4. Unfold the "Audio" list on the top. You can adjust audio track, audio channel and audio device. In addition, you can select video track, subtitle track and more from the "Video" drop-down list besides.

Audio Video effect

5. If you want to take a snapshot, you can click the "Screenshot" icon near the bottom of the SWF player software. Later, choose "Tools" followed by "Preferences" to set the screenshot format and path folder.

Preferences

Looking for SWF player for Android? Here is the list.

Part 4. FAQs of SWF Player

Can VLC play SWF files?

Yes. Though VLC does not support the SWF format, VLC automatically demuxes the SWF file to MP4 and plays it.

How do I play SWF files in Chrome?

Before, Chrome has a built-in Flash Player called Adobe Flash Player, but it stopped working. Now, to play SWF files in Chrome, you need to download the player from Chrome extensions.

How can I play SWF file after 2020?

Though Adobe Flash Player is dead, you can play SWF files via SWF player or convert SWF to other most popular formats like MP4, WMV, AVI, and more.

Conclusion

You should have learned about the six best SWF players for Windows PCs and Mac computers based on the introduction above. They all have unique pros and cons. You can pick an appropriate one that fits your requirements and easily enjoy the SWF video on your computer. We hope that our recommendations are helpful to you. If you have any other good choices about the SWF players, feel free to share them in the comment section!

Download the Best SWF Player for Free

AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player is one of the best SWF viewers for Windows and Mac in this list. Lossless 4K video quality, Dolby Digital 7.1 and 5.1 audio system sound quality, and smooth playback will allow you to enjoy your SWF videos fully. Click the download button below to download and try it for free. You won't be disappointed with the performance!

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author Updated by Riley Mitchell to Player
January 17, 2025 13:20

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