Board 8 > Best way to play old PC CD-ROMs on a new gaming PC?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Going to get started on building my first gaming PC when I move, but if you know me, you know I have a shit ton of older physical media from the 90s and 00s that I refuse to part with.

It seems like the "simplest" solution here is to play my games on DOSBox, but I really would prefer not to have to download multiple OSs and enter command prompts every time I want to load a game. Is there any configuration that is more efficient here?

Or should I just give up and build a second PC with optimized specs for these older games?

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A GOG version of the game.

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Kinglicious posted...

A GOG version of the game.

Refuse

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Which I should probably clarify.
Basically you're gonna run into compatibility issues up and down the line and it's gonna be an annoying, difficult process involving compatibility and other bugs. Yeah you can emulate another version of Windows but it's gonna be limited on some basic things, including resolution sometimes.

GOG versions are DRM free.
Sometimes free, depending on the game.
No CD drive needed.
Tweaked up to run on modern systems.


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Nelson_Mandela posted...

Refuse

Then yeah, it's gonna be emulating Windows. DOSbox is one route, making a virtual machine running Windows XP or something is another. Virtual Box is fairly popular on that I think.

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Can I play the GOG games offline? Let's say they go out of business tomorrow, do I still have access to their platform?

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Kinglicious posted...

making a virtual machine running Windows XP or something is another

I'm thinking this might be the path of least resistance if I go the emulation route. Will XP run every game released on Windows 95 and 98? I know I probably will need a separate DOS emulator for some of the older stuff, but I am trying to avoid installing more than 2 separate operating systems.

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Nelson_Mandela posted...

Can I play the GOG games offline? Let's say they go out of business tomorrow, do I still have access to their platform?

yes, you'd still be able to play them or install them (if you keep a backup of the offline installer).
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Nelson_Mandela posted...

Can I play the GOG games offline? Let's say they go out of business tomorrow, do I still have access to their platform?

Yes. The games are DRM free so there's no protection on them at all. Once it's yours, it's yours. You can store them on other drives to play years later. Technically you can share the games with whoever you want too, there's nothing preventing that beyond an honor system. Needless to say, it's a favorite among pirates.

Nelson_Mandela posted...

I'm thinking this might be the path of least resistance if I go the emulation route. Will XP run every game released on Windows 95 and 98? I know I probably will need a separate DOS emulator for some of the older stuff, but I am trying to avoid installing more than 2 separate operating systems.

Every game, probably not. Though most should work with different compatibility modes and patches. XP is just the cleanest line. You could just emulate 98 technically, if the games are that old.

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CD-ROMs hahahahah nice.

you know you're old when you not only use the term CD but CD-ROM.

Just like someone instead of saying internet says "I went on the world wide web"

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SuperNiceDog posted...

CD-ROMs hahahahah nice.

you know you're old when you not only use the term CD but CD-ROM.

Just like someone instead of saying internet says "I went on the world wide web"

Come at me.

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Also I have my old Roller Coaster Tycoon save files so if GOG can't handle those then it's virtual machining for me.

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bumpo

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metaIslug posted...

Nothing like the real thing. An old used P4 will put you down $30 tops and there won't be any incompatibilities. Connects to a modern monitor through VGA too

I was actually beginning to lean this way. I assume Windows XP would run pretty much anything that a modern gaming PC would not?

Now it's just a matter of finding the best specs to run those old games as smoothly as possible.

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metaIslug posted...

XP is the most compatible OS yea. Do note however that GOG games don't typically work on old machines. They're selling old games wrapped in a modern shell and that shell in my experience that shell is too much for an old PC

This tower would be exclusively for the games I physically own.

I wonder if anyone has thought of the optimal build for something like this?

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metaIslug posted...

P4 with a discrete GPU.

It's when you start getting into dual-core that incompatibility starts to happen

Hmm... This could actually be a sexy option. Two PCs, one monitor. You're sure a single P4 would cover the bases?

Better question: what's the oldest game a modern gaming PC would handle without a weird setup?

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So do you obsessively need physical copies of the old OS also?
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Jakyl25 posted...

So do you obsessively need physical copies of the old OS also?

Oh you

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For real though, whats the difference
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Jakyl25 posted...

For real though, whats the difference

I didn't cherish collecting operating systems as a kid

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I recently sold my old copy of final fantasy 7 pc cd-rom for a hefty sum. I should have offered it to you!
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Nelson_Mandela posted...

Can I play the GOG games offline? Let's say they go out of business tomorrow, do I still have access to their platform?

one of those are we? lol

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GOG games are DRM free so yes you can do whatever you want with them even if aliens kidnapped all their staff and smashed their servers tomorrow.

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