How to Make Old PC Games Look (and Play) Better on a New PC
One of the best things about playing on a PC is that you can almost always run your old games on a new computer. However, unlike the retro console gaming on modern TVs , there is no one -size- fits-all solution for this. Because of the many hardware and software configurations that you may be using at the moment, the variables involved in PC games, and the specific requirements for running a particular game, this process requires individual decisions. And even if you can run an old game, it will probably look terrible.
While fixes for these issues will differ from game to game and from PC to PC, there are general strategies you can use to get any old PC game to run on modern hardware and even improve the graphics quality to boot.
How to run old games on a new PC
Naturally, the first step is to install your old games on your computer. For some titles, it’s as easy as installing them via digital download or an original CD, DVD, or even floppy disks (if you still have a floppy drive). Other games may require additional steps, such as launching the game with certain settings enabled, installing community-made patches or mods, looking for outdated or unofficial drivers, or even using special software like DOSBox to emulate an old computer. The exact steps will be different for each game, but you’ll often find guides on how to launch a specific game using a quick Internet search.
Another option is to buy and play games from digital stores like GOG or Steam. These versions usually contain fixes or community mods to help the game run properly on newer computers. The community forums on GOG and Steam also often have setup guides. Finally, some developers like Blizzard and Bethesda are also directly offering digital versions of older games that have been reworked for compatibility with current PCs.
Refresh graphics
When you download your old PC game, you might find that it looks … not very good. Older PC games were usually created to display at a lower screen resolution and different aspect ratios than what is used on any modern computer monitor, leaving you with a fuzzy pixelated image that doesn’t fit your screen. And even if the old game doesn’t match your monitor’s aspect ratio and resolution, it can still look ugly.
Many older games are badly outdated, especially those from the early 3D era (I’m talking about the late 90’s and early 00’s). To some (like me), these ugly polygons and grainy textures can be charming and nostalgic. But if you can’t stand the antiquated look, you can make them better than ever with free mods and third-party apps. Please note that some of these tools may not be compatible with all games, as they must be implemented by the original developers years later, or by fans who take the time to get the job done on their own.
Increase display resolution and aspect ratio
Then let’s try to fix the aspect ratio and screen resolution issue so you can play full screen on a 16: 9 or ultrawide monitor.
In rare cases, developers may retroactively add support for modern screen sizes and resolutions to their older versions, so check the game’s graphics settings to see if you can fit the game to your screen. Don’t worry if the settings you want aren’t available – fans often add widescreen and high resolution support to games themselves via mods or unofficial patches.
In some cases, these are game-specific patches – for example, this one from the big one, which allows you to play the original versions of the classic Infinity Engine RPGs of Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale, Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II in widescreen mode . Similar widescreen patches are also collected in this Widescreen Fixes Pack , including workarounds for the original Grand Theft Auto games (yes, even 2D), Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series , Mass Effect, and more. In addition, there are programs like Flawless Widescreen that provide ultra-widescreen support for dozens of games, new and old, and new ones are added regularly.
Despite the abundance of these patches, we can’t say with certainty if they exist for the games you’re trying to play, but it’s not hard to know if you know where to look. Mod DB , Nexus Mods , Reddit, Steam Community Pages, and GOG Forums are all great resources for finding such patches and mods, as well as guides on how to install and configure them.
It’s also worth noting that community patches can do more than just fix the game’s screen resolution. Patches can fix other bugs, improve stability, or even make additional gameplay changes that make the game more accessible to new players. One such mod that comes to mind is the Arx Libertatis overhaul for the 2002 Arx Fatalis RPG , which makes the game available on modern high-definition PCs, simplifies certain in-game actions, and fixes long-standing issues that were present in the game. original issue
Enhance visual quality with HD textures and high poly models.
Playing the old game at modern screen resolutions is enjoyable, but it won’t improve the actual textures and models in the game. In fact, it can make those blocky characters and blurry textures more common.
This is where HD texture packs and mods for high poly models come in handy.
Again, HD textures and high poly models aren’t available for every game, but they’re relatively common in popular classics that are still marketed and played today. Some of them are created by the original developers, but most of them are fan-created as unofficial mods.
A recent fan-made texture pack that has garnered a lot of attention – and one of my personal favorites – is the Final Fantasy XI HD mod from Ashenbubs , which used a combination of software scaling and hand-drawn images to update the PC version of Final . Fantasy XI’s in -game textures , which were originally designed with the PlayStation 2’s hardware limitation in mind, up to 4K while retaining the original art style.
Other notable games for which HD textures and / or model packs are available include System Shock 2 , Half Life , The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and others.
Add Better Lighting and Post-Processing Effects with Reshade
Upgraded textures and models can do a lot to help older games look better , but applying improved lighting and post-processing effects with Reshade can make the classic look completely new from a decade ago.
Reshade is a free stand-alone application that applies post-processing to any PC game, new or old. It can add realistic effects such as depth of field or ambient occlusion to games, even if they are too old to support such advanced settings at launch. Reshade can even add ray tracing effects without the Nvidia RTX GPU – although you’ll need to support this project on Patreon to unlock the feature while it’s still in testing.
Many Reshade shaders will have little or no effect on your PC’s performance, although some are resource intensive; others may or may not perform well in every game. Get ready to spend some time tweaking the settings to make things look right. If you don’t feel like digging through the app’s settings to find the right look, there are shader presets available for many games that will make it easy to tweak.
Of course, none of these mods or enhancements are required – there is something to be said to play older games with their original settings and visuals intact. You can absolutely overdo it with mods and post-processing, and making too many changes will get in the way of the retro perfection you’re probably looking for when loading a vintage game.
The most important thing is that your games run well enough to be fun to play, and if the game is good (and why are you sweating running an old bad game on your new PC?), You probably won’t need too many mods to do so.
[ PCMag ]