NinjaTrader's Market Replay Playback Connection lets futures traders replay historical tick-by-tick market data across all platform windows at speeds up to 1,000 times market speed, making it possible to compress years of market exposure into days. Market replay (also called "playback" in NinjaTrader) refers to replaying historical market data as if it were live, allowing simulated order entry and strategy testing on past price action.
The 10,000-Hour Practice Benchmark
Malcolm Gladwell, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of the bestselling book Outliers, popularised the theory that 10,000 hours of practice are required to master a particular skill.
Similar to other skillsets, if you are determined to master the art of trading, it requires practice. Unfortunately, the markets only offer a limited amount of live data on a daily basis—making that 10,000-hour benchmark daunting at best.
For futures traders targeting the active European session—when DAX (FDAX) and Euro Stoxx 50 volume peaks—the prime trading window typically runs from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm CET (2:00 am – 11:30 am ET), roughly 9.5 hours per day, five days a week. That's around 2,470 hours of live market exposure per year.
At that pace, it would take more than four years of focused live trading to approach the 10,000-hour threshold—and that's before accounting for weekends, holidays, or the reality that most traders aren't glued to their screens for the full session.
Market Replay Practice at 1,000x Speed
Enter NinjaTrader's Market Replay Playback Connection. NinjaTrader's streaming market replay is included at no additional cost for EU account holders and runs through the same award-winning platform* used for live trading. With live on-demand data included free with your NinjaTrader account, the Playback Connection empowers you to record, download, and replay market data at your convenience. Whether during after-market hours or at the weekend, the Playback Connection delivers market replay data to all NinjaTrader windows for simulated trading as if you were trading in real time.
* As voted by the Stocks & Commodities Readers' Choice Award, 2024.
Practise on European Instruments, Outside Market Hours
German futures traders can use NinjaTrader's Playback Connection to practise on European instruments entirely outside live market hours, including:
- DAX (FDAX)
- Micro-DAX (FDXS)
- Euro Stoxx 50
- Euro-Bund
- US index futures
Moreover, you can test daily, weekly, or monthly strategy and indicator performance in minutes, as the Playback Connection can replay Market Replay data up to 1,000 times market speed—or as fast as your system can handle.
Market replay simulators allow traders to test entry and exit rules, indicators, and order flow reading skills on historical data without capital at risk—a key step in building the deliberate practice required to trade futures with consistency.
As a platform tool distinct from CFDs or turbo certificates, NinjaTrader's futures-based Market Replay environment gives German traders access to exchange-listed, centrally cleared instrument data in a fully regulated simulation context. Learn more about how futures compare to CFDs.
Master your trading skills and increase your exposure to live market data with NinjaTrader's Market Replay Playback Connection today. For full technical guidance, see the EU support articles on connecting to the Playback Connection and exporting Market Replay data.
Watch the Tutorial
Watch this quick video tutorial to learn more.
Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors. The Market Replay Playback Connection is a practice and analysis tool—it does not guarantee profits or eliminate the risk of loss in live trading. Always test new strategies in NinjaTrader's simulation environment before trading live. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Not investment advice. Crypto trading carries a risk of loss. Payward Europe Solutions Limited, trading as Kraken, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Keine Anlageberatung. Krypto-Trading birgt ein Verlustrisiko. Payward Europe Solutions Limited, tätig als Kraken, ist durch die Central Bank of Ireland reguliert.
Ready to Start Compressing Your Practice Curve?
Open your free NinjaTrader EU account and begin replaying DAX, Euro Stoxx 50, and US index futures on demand.