For compatibility issues with games that are not designed for current generation hardware, like DOS games on 64-bit Windows, fixing garbled Windows XP–era Japanese games, or legal ways to play old console games. This tag also covers backwards compatibility features in consoles, like the PS1 chip in the PS2. Do not use this tag for identifying old games; use the [game-identification] tag instead and follow its tag info.
Questions tagged [backwards-compatibility]
188 questions
110
votes
9 answers
Legal ways of playing old games that aren't for sale any longer
There are a few old games that I want to play again (mostly Earthbound for the SNES), however I am finding it REALLY hard to get hold of a copy for a good price, as well as the requirement of purchasing a SNES to play it on...
I'd absolutely love to…
theorise
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50
votes
4 answers
How can I play Day of the Tentacle?
I've got a modern PC running Windows 7 x64. How could I go about obtaining, and playing Day of the Tentacle?
fredley
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31
votes
2 answers
Why did many commodore 64 games require the joystick to be in port #2?
Why did many commodore 64 games require the joystick to be in port #2, despite being single-player games?
I remember being annoyed by having to unplug and plug the joystick between games.
Petruza
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30
votes
5 answers
CPU or framerate limiting on older games
There are some older games that seem to eat up as much CPU as you can produce even if only to render frames that they will drop - or perhaps perform some work that I don't consider necessary (since they were good enough on my machine in the…
Tyler Szabo
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29
votes
9 answers
Why is it so difficult to emulate PS2 games in a PS3?
I know that PS2 games can only be played in a 'fat' PS3 with the right hardware to run it. But why is so difficult to emulate a PS2 game in the PS3 without that hardware? Is the processor, the architecture, both?
Ither
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28
votes
1 answer
Why do older generations games have a common look and feel by console?
I’ve been getting into retro gaming in the last few years (the options for emulators are just so cheap and good) and I’ve noticed more and more that there is a common “look and feel” to games released on the same console in older generations. With…
Patrick Foy
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28
votes
6 answers
Why do people use DOSBox over Virtualbox in a gaming context?
I've noticed that a number of people here use DOSBox for playing older titles on modern PC hardware.
I am very familiar with VirtualBox, I use it to virtualize several operating systems. I have also read up on it's current 3d support.
My question…
Tharius
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28
votes
5 answers
How to get old 16-bit Windows games to work on 64-bit Windows?
Trying to play some old Windows 95 games on Windows 7 64-bit, I'm getting the following error:
The version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether you need…
Oak
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25
votes
2 answers
I miss Microsoft Pinball. Is it available for Windows Vista or Windows 7?
Am I the only one who misses Microsoft Pinball? Will the XP version work on Windows Vista or Windows 7?
wizlog
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23
votes
5 answers
Is the Wii U compatible with Gamecube games?
So despite some initial confusion about whether the Wii U was an accessory or a console successor to the Wii, I now understand that it is, in fact, a new console.
During its initial presentation, Nintendo lavished about the fact that the Wii U would…
Raven Dreamer
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19
votes
3 answers
Are all PSN PSP games compatible with PS Vita?
It is well known the PS Vita is not backwards compatible with any UMD-based PSP games, as it uses a different, not compatible storage media. Sony also confirmed that PSP games purchased through PSN's PlayStation Store will be compatible with PS…
acalypso
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17
votes
3 answers
I have this really old game from the DOS era, anyone know how to run it in my modern machine?
I have a copy of Test Drive III: The Passion, but whenever I run it in my Windows XP machine it runs too fast. Is there any way to run this game in a modern computer?
chiguire
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16
votes
4 answers
How can I get Sam & Max Hit the Road working on Windows XP?
The kids picked up a copy of Sam & Max Hit the Road, but I can't get it to install. What do I have to do?
ChrisF
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16
votes
6 answers
How do I get an older Windows 95/98 game to run in Windows 7 64-bit without some colors looking off?
Recently EA released the first few Command and Conquer games for free on their website. I've downloaded and installed the first one for 64-bit (the download for 64-bit versions of Windows can be found on the installation instructions page). Anyway…
indyK1ng
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16
votes
1 answer
Game Won't Launch from CD
I ordered American McGee's Alice from eBay and it seemed to read just fine when I put it in my computer. The autoplay menu worked correctly and allowed me to install the game, but when I double-click the icon to start it (or when I click "play…
Chase Sandmann
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