Play 3D Pinball Space Cadet in Your Browser — With Your Own Copy

Q: Why won't it start when I only upload PINBALL.EXE?

The EXE depends on data files in the same folder — PINBALL.DAT, the .MID music, and the WAVE*.WAV sounds. Upload the whole directory with the folder picker, not just the executable, or the game can't find its table.

Q: Which Wine variant should I pick for Space Cadet?

Use Win32 + Gecko. The game's bundled HTML help/registration component can otherwise trigger a Wine Gecko download prompt; the Gecko variant ships that offline so the game launches straight to the table.

Q: What are the controls?

Click the canvas first to capture input. Press and hold Space to charge and launch the ball; flippers are Z (left) and / (right). Press Esc to release input focus back to the browser.

Running 3D Pinball Space Cadet in your browser — with your own copy Guide — bring your own copy (or play the open-source version instantly)

Guide updated July 2026 · Runs via Wine 1.7.55 + Gecko (Win32) + WebAssembly · Requires your own copy

Want to play right now, with nothing to install? We built Open Cadet — a fully open-source, public-domain remake of Space Cadet that plays instantly in your browser, no Microsoft files needed. This page is for running your own original copy; for instant play, start Open Cadet →

3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet is one of the most-missed pieces of bundled Windows software ever — the single pinball table that shipped with Windows 95 Plus!, 98, 2000, and XP before quietly disappearing in Vista. This page is a compatibility guide: Microsoft still owns the game, so we don't host the files — you bring your own copy, and it runs entirely in your browser tab. The good news: it's a small, well-behaved 32-bit Win32 program, and it runs in ExeBrowser without much fuss. Pick the Win32 + Gecko variant, load your own pinball folder below, point Wine at PINBALL.EXE, and you're launching the ball in seconds — full speed, working sound, nothing uploaded to a server.

Runs in your browser tab with WebAssembly + Wine — nothing is uploaded. Click the screen to capture input; press Esc to release the mouse.

Bring your own copy. 3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet is proprietary Microsoft software and is not distributed by ExeBrowser. We don't host the files. If you have an old Windows XP, 2000, 98, or 95 Plus! machine (or install media) that you legally own, copy the Pinball folder off it — that is the legitimate way to get your PINBALL.EXE and its data files. ExeBrowser is not affiliated with Microsoft.

How it works & what to expect

Why it needs the whole folder

Space Cadet isn't a single self-contained EXE. PINBALL.EXE loads PINBALL.DAT (the table graphics and physics data), PINBALL.MID and WAVE*.WAV for sound, and table-string files from the same directory. If you drop only the EXE, you'll get a window that complains it can't find its table — or simply shows nothing. Upload the entire folder using the folder picker so those files sit beside the executable inside Wine's virtual C:\.

Why the +Gecko variant

The original release includes a small HTML-based help and registration component that, under Wine, can pop a prompt to download the Wine Gecko package. Picking the Win32 + Gecko variant bundles that offline so the prompt never appears and the game launches straight into the table. If you ever boot the plain default variant by mistake and hit a Gecko download prompt, just switch variants and reboot.

Step by step

Find your copy of the Space Cadet folder. It shipped on Windows XP under C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Pinball\ — copy that directory off a machine or install media you legally own (see the licensing note above).
On the ExeBrowser player, set the Wine variant to Win32 + Gecko and click Boot Wine.
Use pick a folder and select the whole pinball directory.
If an entry picker appears, choose PINBALL.EXE, then click Run in Wine.
Click the canvas to capture input. Launch the ball with the Space bar; flippers are Z and /.

What to expect

Space Cadet is light on the CPU, so emulation speed isn't an issue — it plays essentially like the real thing, with working sound, smooth on a 2018-or-newer laptop. If the table looks dark or input feels stuck, click directly on the canvas to make sure it has focus, and press Esc to release. Nothing you do is uploaded; the files stay in your browser tab.

Frequently asked questions

Is 3D Pinball Space Cadet free to download here?

No. Space Cadet is proprietary Microsoft software and we don't host it. ExeBrowser runs the game in your browser, but you supply the files yourself — copy the Pinball folder from an old Windows XP, 2000, 98, or 95 Plus! machine or install media you legally own.

Why won't it start when I only upload PINBALL.EXE?

The EXE depends on data files in the same folder — PINBALL.DAT, the .MID music, and the WAVE*.WAV sounds. Upload the whole directory with the folder picker, not just the executable, or the game can't find its table.

Which Wine variant should I pick for Space Cadet?

Use Win32 + Gecko. The game's bundled HTML help/registration component can otherwise trigger a Wine Gecko download prompt; the Gecko variant ships that offline so the game launches straight to the table.

Does the sound and music work?

Yes. Both the MIDI music and the WAV sound effects play, as long as you uploaded the full folder so the audio files are present. Speed is a non-issue — the game is light and runs at full speed.

What are the controls?

Click the canvas first to capture input. Press and hold Space to charge and launch the ball; flippers are Z (left) and / (right). Press Esc to release input focus back to the browser.