CONSOLE YOURSELF (ACTUALLY, DON’T)
Creating an artificial software environment in which a program’s tricked into running successfully is one way to describe the resurrection of old PC games. It’s also one way to describe console emulation on PC, which has a history as long as it is illegal.
Its origins date back to 1990, when programs such as Family Computer Emulator v0.35 allowed a handful of NES games to run on PC. Since then, almost every console has been emulated on PC, and even Nintendo’s DS, with its unique control options, joined the ranks. As technical accomplishments, they’re impressive, and there’s a subversive thrill in seeing another platform holder’s ident appearing on a PC monitor. The key difference between using old PC games on a new PC and using old console games on a new PC is that you’re breaking two sets of copyright laws when you do the latter. Consoles are closed platforms, and their games are licensed strictly for use on that very specific hardware. What constitutes a PC is open to interpretation, when you factor in the Raspberry Pi, Steam OS machines, office workstations, and quadSLI gaming rigs. What constitutes a PlayStation 4 is not. There haven’t been many legal cases, but when Sony tried to sue two PS1 emulators in the 1990s, an uneasy accord was established: As an emulator doesn’t re-use code, it’s not illegal. The games, however, are.
The legality gets trickier when considering discontinued platforms. Arguably, since the Sega Saturn was discontinued long ago, it can be considered abandonware (along with its software library). But what if the platform comes back to life, as with Nintendo’s SNES Mini? Steer clear, and concentrate on PC gaming’s voluminous library instead.