This gives early 3D games on systems like the PlayStation and N64 a smoother look. They looked OK on older, smaller CRT displays, but these analog signals look even worse when blown up on a modern large HDTV.Īnother reason is that in 3D titles, emulators can render polygons at higher resolutions than their original consoles, thanks to better hardware. The biggest reason for this is that older consoles used analog video outputs, like composite cables.Īnalog signals are not as clear as modern digital video standards. When you play games on an emulator, you'll probably notice the graphics look better than you remember from the actual console. Let's start with the positives and see some of the biggest draws for using an emulator to play video games. We'll discuss emulation generally here not all features are available with all emulators. For example, Nintendo's Virtual Console service on the 3DS and Wii U, as well as the Switch Online NES and SNES collections, use software emulation to run older games.

While most people think of video game emulation primarily as third-party software, it's more widespread than you might think. This allows you to play games intended for that console on your computer, even though they wouldn't normally be compatible. In the case of video game emulation, software like Project64 mimics the hardware of a console like the Nintendo 64.

In case you're not familiar, emulation is the act of allowing one computer to act like another. Let's consider the pros and cons of emulation so you can decide what's best for you. Emulation software provides an easy way to play games that aren't otherwise accessible.Ĭompared to playing on original hardware, emulation come with some benefits as well as a few drawbacks.

If you're a fan of playing retro video games, chances are that you've experienced some titles on an emulator, or at least considered using emulation.

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