If you’re looking to buy a PC game, it’s a good idea to choose one that’s designed for a 64-bit Windows operating system. However, it’s equally important to know that 32-bit games will no longer run on 64-bit Windows. That’s because games that run on 32-bit platforms may not run properly on 64-bit systems. Read on to learn more. If you’re unsure whether or not a game is suitable for a 64-bit Windows PC, here are some tips.
Choosing a game that is designed for 64-bit
You may have heard about 64-bit computers and what that means, but did you know that this operating system is different than the 32-bit one? First released in 1985, the Cray UNICOS was known as a supercomputer for fifteen years and was considered a large server. However, 64-bit systems and games were already being used by many gaming consoles, and Windows 7 has increased this popularity even further.
Limitations of 64-bit Windows
There are a few limitations of 64-bit Windows, but the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks. First, 32-bit processors can only use a limited amount of RAM, while 64-bit processors can access much more memory. To take advantage of this extra memory, 64-bit operating systems need to be specifically designed to take advantage of the additional space. The Microsoft site lists some of the limitations of 64-bit Windows, but the latest version of Windows doesn’t have any such restrictions.
The other limitation of 64-bit Windows is that the user will need to install drivers for games that require 64-bit processing. While 64-bit operating systems are generally safer, the downside is that some games will not work on older hardware. If this is the case, you may need to upgrade your video card to take advantage of this. Otherwise, you may have to settle for a slower processor or a smaller video card.
Limitations of 32-bit games
When developing PC games, developers must keep in mind the limitations of a 32-bit operating system. For example, 32-bit games cannot address more than 4GB of virtual memory. Out of this amount, the game will crash. This is due to the way the OS protects itself from malicious programs, so it needs to share the remaining memory with other programs. The more applications you have running, the lower the available memory.
While you may not realize it, 32-bit games already exceed the safe memory limit for the program. Games that use more than 2GB of RAM will suffer from heavy crashes and OS related issues. Because of this, programs must evolve with the majority, if not the entire user base. While the developer isn’t responsible for the limitations, it’s worth knowing what you’re looking forward to when developing a new game.
Limitations of 32-bit games on 64-bit Windows
You may be wondering what the differences between 64-bit and 32-bit Windows are. In short, 64-bit Windows supports larger memory and is more efficient for processing programs. A 64-bit system has nearly eight times the amount of RAM of a 32-bit system. However, there are some games that won’t run properly on 64-bit Windows. Fortunately, there are some ways to overcome these limitations and make 32-bit games run better on your 64-bit system.
The size of address space determines the maximum memory size that a 32-bit game can use. A 32-bit game will use up to one GB of data. In comparison, a 64-bit game will use up to four gigabytes of RAM. However, 32-bit games will not run on a 64-bit system without memory remapping, which must be implemented on the software side.
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