The nightmare of lovers of retro games. Although Windows stands out among many other operating systems for its backward compatibility, there is a big problem for all those who are looking to enjoy titles from 25 or 30 years ago, perhaps due to nostalgia or because they are simply classic games that they want to enjoy again. Here we will explain why some old video games don’t work on Windows 11, Windows 10 or other modern OS.
Examples of games Windows that are worth remembering there are plenty. If you had a computer with Windows 95, Windows 98 either Windows Xp, it is likely that you have enjoyed one or another game in your childhood. However, there is a slight problem if you try to insert your CD or purchase that particular title to reinstall on your modern computer.
YOU CAN SEE: How to install Windows 95 on Windows 10 and 11 with internet and programs?
Some PC games of the time. Photo: Catawiki
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64-bit Windows: the worst enemy of retro
One of the main problems with Windows 10, Windows 11 and any version after Windows 7 is that the architecture that Microsoft promoted, since then, is that of 64 bit. 32-bit systems are already a thing of the past, but the vast majority of games of yesteryear were created for that standard.
64 bit – what is that?
We know what you are thinking. What are bits? Well, understanding it is nothing to write home about. The numbers 32 and 64 simply refer to the number of slots a computer (or rather, its CPU) can use to place bits and do its calculations and operations. You can compare it to the operation of two calculatorsone capable of displaying numbers of up to 12 digits and another that can only display a maximum of eight. Just as the first calculator will be more powerful and capable than the second, a 64-bit system is capable of more complex operations, programs, and tasks than a 32-bit one..
16-bit and 32-bit games on modern Windows
Well, don’t be surprised that, more than 20 years ago, the versions of Windows that were used were mostly 32-bit (95, 98, XP, Vista, 7), much earlier they were 16-bit (Windows 3 ) and even before that there were systems up to 8 bits (but that’s already almost ‘prehistory’).
As you can imagine, this is the main problem why some games do not run on modern Windows. You must remember that both Windows 10 What Windows 1132-bit versions no longer exist, as Microsoft focused on only supporting 64-bit architectures since Windows 7.
Many 32 bit applications they can still run on 64-bit systems, but it really depends on each program. In addition to this, there are some problems that we will detail here:
The launcher: a convenience that became an inconvenience
If we want, for example, to run a video game from the late 90s (and 32 bits), it is likely that we can do it by means of some tricks (the most common is to run it in compatibility mode of Windows 95, limit the colors to 256 or even run it inside a virtual machine); however, the number of problems that can arise for a simple activity like this is infinite.
A clear example is Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo, a 3D shooter title that was released in 2000 and is already infamous for being nearly impossible to install on modern systems. Even if we fix the 32-bit problem this can be torture for one simple reason.
What’s going on? Although this game is 32-bit, its original version came with a launcher which, to everyone’s surprise, is 16 bit. This makes it almost impossible for it to be installed on a modern system and there are plenty of examples of this. The famous Hercules that you surely enjoyed back then also suffers from a similar problem:
So what are we left with?
The answer to this dilemma will always depend on the title. There are not a few games that suffer from similar problems, and many are forgotten by their developers, who never released a solution to the problem. Luckily, with a little time, you can always choose to search for information online and find patches and ‘fixes‘ which creates the very community behind these titles so that it can still be enjoyed on modern systems today.
Another solution, if you are a lover of retro games, is to turn to GOG, the only store focused on old titles. Generally, for problematic games, GOG tends to distribute all possible solutions (in some cases, they include emulators).