Tool-assisted speedrun

A tool-assisted speedrun or tool-assisted superplay (TAS; /tæs/) is generally defined as a speedrun or playthrough composed of precise inputs recorded with tools such as video game emulators. Tool-assisted speedruns are generally created with the goal of creating theoretically perfect playthroughs. This may include the fastest possible route to complete a game or showcasing new optimizations to existing world records.

TAS requires research into the theoretical limits of the games and their respective competitive categories. The fastest categories have no restrictions and often involve a level of gameplay impractical or impossible for a human player, and those made according to real-time attack rules serve to research the limits of human players.

The TAS developer has full control over the game's movement, per video frame, to record a sequence of fully precise inputs. Other tools include save states and branches, rewriting recorded inputs, splicing together best sequences, macros, and scripts to automate gameplay actions. These tools grant TAS creators precision and accuracy beyond a human player.