romskip

romskip is a colloquial term used in communities surrounding video game emulation, ROM hacking, and related fields. It is not a formal technical term in computer science; rather, it describes the act or concept of skipping portions of a ROM's data during loading, execution, or analysis, typically to speed up processes, bypass nonessential sections, or bypass certain checks. The exact meaning varies by context.

In emulation and debugging, romskip may refer to techniques or emulator features that bypass initialization routines, large data blocks, or cutscene data to reduce loading times or to focus on specific segments of code for testing. In ROM hacking, the phrase commonly describes editing a ROM to remove or bypass specific code, such as intro sequences, region checks, or nonplayable parts, in order to alter how the game runs. In embedded or firmware development, a similar concept may be described as skipping ROM-based initialization during development to shorten boot times, though this is usually done only in controlled test environments.

Because ROMs are typically copyrighted, and many ROMs are distributed illegally, discussions around romskip often exist within niche or illicit contexts. Users should be mindful of legal considerations and platform terms of service.

See also: emulation, ROM hacking, speedrunning, firmware development.