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

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

- "What opens SWF files?"

- "Can Chrome play SWF files?"

- "Can VLC play SWF files?"

There are many questions about playing SWF files online and offline. Not all media players can play SWF files. You need to use a standalone SWF player to watch SWF files since Adobe stopped supporting Flash Player beginning December 31, 2020. From this article, you can get 5 ultimate SWF players to open .swf files on Windows and Mac. Just read and follow.

DVD Player

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 5 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.

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.

2SWF File Player

Platform: Windows

SWF File Player

SWF File Player can help you open SWF files and read metadata tags from the file header quickly. It is a free SWF player for Windows 10 and other Windows

versions. Once you play a SWF file, the program's window will resize and fit the content automatically. Thus, you can watch SWF videos in original display.

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 the name to Elmedia Player since July 2010. You can control SWF playback on Mac effortlessly here. It is also supported to browse websites to search for SWF files you need. If you want to play SWF files with a larger screen, you can stream SWF files to Chromecast, AirPlay and DLNA-enabled devices with the SWF player for Mac software.

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 and above outside your browser. You can right-click on the SWF file and select "Get Info" to play a SWF file with iSwiff. You can resize the window or watch SWF videos in full screen mode with the Mac SWF player. Well, you can play SWF games, animations and movies without using Chrome or Safari.

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 a multimedia player software developed by DearMob, Inc. It supports playing various audio and video formats, including SWF (Shockwave Flash) files. SWF files are typically used for multimedia, vector graphics, and ActionScript. So, if you have SWF files and want to play them, 5KPlayer can be a suitable option for you.

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.

Part 3. 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

Based on the introductions above, you might grasp at least 5 best SWF Players for Windows PCs and Mac computers. They all have unique benefits and advantages. You can pick up an appropriate one according to your requirements and enjoy SWF video on your computer simply. We hope that our recommendations are useful to you.

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author Updated by Riley Mitchell to Player
May 11, 2024 15:30

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