diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a16559d9..95007756 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ In your `package.json` add a new script to invoke the `replay` command:
 }
 ```
 
+Set the `PUPPETEER_HEADLESS` environment variable to control whether the browser is start in a headful or headless mode. For example,
+
+```
+PUPPETEER_HEADLESS=true npx @puppeteer/replay recording.json # runs in headless mode, the default mode.
+PUPPETEER_HEADLESS=false npx @puppeteer/replay recording.json # runs in headful mode.
+PUPPETEER_HEADLESS=chrome npx @puppeteer/replay recording.json # runs in the new experimental headless mode.
+```
+
 Using [the replay lib API](/examples/replay-from-file-using-puppeteer/main.js):
 
 ```js
diff --git a/src/CLIUtils.ts b/src/CLIUtils.ts
index ffae9e7c..c723e589 100644
--- a/src/CLIUtils.ts
+++ b/src/CLIUtils.ts
@@ -16,14 +16,36 @@
 
 import { parse, createRunner } from './main.js';
 import { readFileSync } from 'fs';
+import { PuppeteerRunnerOwningBrowserExtension } from './PuppeteerRunnerExtension.js';
 
 export function getFilenames(argv: string[]) {
   return argv.slice(2);
 }
 
+export function getHeadlessEnvVar(headless?: string) {
+  if (!headless) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  switch (headless.toLowerCase()) {
+    case '1':
+    case 'true':
+      return true;
+    case 'chrome':
+      return 'chrome';
+    case '0':
+    case 'false':
+      return false;
+    default:
+      throw new Error('PUPPETEER_HEADLESS: unrecognized value');
+  }
+}
+
 export async function runFiles(
   files: string[],
-  opts = { log: false }
+  opts: { log: boolean; headless: boolean | 'chrome' } = {
+    log: false,
+    headless: true,
+  }
 ): Promise<boolean> {
   for (const file of files) {
     opts.log && console.log(`Running ${file}...`);
@@ -31,7 +53,16 @@ export async function runFiles(
       const content = readFileSync(file, 'utf-8');
       const object = JSON.parse(content);
       const recording = parse(object);
-      const runner = await createRunner(recording);
+      const { default: puppeteer } = await import('puppeteer');
+      const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
+        headless: opts.headless,
+      });
+      const page = await browser.newPage();
+      const extension = new PuppeteerRunnerOwningBrowserExtension(
+        browser,
+        page
+      );
+      const runner = await createRunner(recording, extension);
       await runner.run();
       opts.log && console.log(`Finished running ${file}`);
     } catch (err) {
diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index 8f1c829a..afea5f75 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -16,12 +16,14 @@
     limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { getFilenames, runFiles } from './CLIUtils.js';
+import { getFilenames, getHeadlessEnvVar, runFiles } from './CLIUtils.js';
 
 const recordings = getFilenames(process.argv);
 if (!recordings.length) {
   console.log(`Usage: replay filename [filename...]`);
 }
+console.log(process.env.PUPPETEER_HEADLESS);
 await runFiles(recordings, {
   log: true,
+  headless: getHeadlessEnvVar(process.env.PUPPETEER_HEADLESS),
 });
diff --git a/test/cli_test.ts b/test/cli_test.ts
index 688dd230..0a9c5704 100644
--- a/test/cli_test.ts
+++ b/test/cli_test.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
     limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { getFilenames, runFiles } from '../src/CLIUtils.js';
+import { getFilenames, runFiles, getHeadlessEnvVar } from '../src/CLIUtils.js';
 import { assert } from 'chai';
 import path from 'path';
 import url from 'url';
@@ -35,6 +35,19 @@ describe('cli', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('getHeadlessEnvVar', () => {
+    it('extracts the headless parameter from process.argv', () => {
+      assert.strictEqual(getHeadlessEnvVar(undefined), true);
+      assert.strictEqual(getHeadlessEnvVar('1'), true);
+      assert.strictEqual(getHeadlessEnvVar('true'), true);
+      assert.strictEqual(getHeadlessEnvVar('0'), false);
+      assert.strictEqual(getHeadlessEnvVar('false'), false);
+      assert.strictEqual(getHeadlessEnvVar('chrome'), 'chrome');
+      assert.strictEqual(getHeadlessEnvVar('True'), true);
+      assert.strictEqual(getHeadlessEnvVar('False'), false);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('runFiles', () => {
     it('is able to run successfully', async () => {
       assert.isTrue(