We’ve all gotten into the situation at some point where an old computer needs to be put out to pasture.

This is a natural part of the computer owning process, where machines grow outdated, bloated, and generally frustrating to use with most modern applications. Complete abandonment doesn’t have to be the way, however, as there are alternatives to keep your systems running enjoyable games for years to come. Looking at emulation and simple online browser games as a basis, we want to explore the simple steps you can take to build such a machine.

Step 1: Backup, Format, and Reinstall

Since computers tend to get bloated with unnecessary software and files over time, we’re going to turn to a complete data wipe, or format, to get everything up to speed. Before this, however, you need to run another check to determine if there are any personal or important files on an old system that you want to keep.

Once this is done, get your Windows CD or DVD ready, and we’re ready to format. Restart your computer with the disc in the drive, and you’ll be given a range of reinstall options to go with. Follow those which point to a complete reformat, do the basic steps, and let the process complete. When this is done, you’ll be given the option to reinstall Windows, which is again a simple step-by-step process. Don’t worry if you’ve lost your activation key, as new ones can be found on key selling sites for cheap.

Step 2: Getting into Fighting Shape

Before jumping into games, we need to make sure your computer has the right drivers installed to manage your hardware. Without these, a system will often run poorly, so we can’t miss this step. While it can be possible to install drivers one by one, a better idea can be to turn to free driver updater tools to perform the heavy lifting for us. Be sure to remove whichever driver program you choose after finishing, as chances are your drivers for older machines won’t be updated again.

Step 3: Finding your Games

Now that we know what to do, we need to consider which types of games an older system can run. Starting with online browser games, your selection in older titles is going to be broad, though your choice in modern games will be limited. For older online games, the widest range of opportunities could be found in downloading BlueMaxima’s Flashpoint. This web game preservation project acts as a platform for thousands of old Flash games which can no longer be played on modern browsers. Simple, and easy to use.

For more modern online games, your choices are probably going to be confined to online casinos. While these incorporate cutting-edge technologies, they also have low requirements that perform well even on older machines. The choice here really depends on user wants, with comparison websites for elements like the best casino bonuses helping players discover the ideal service for them. Simply turn to one of these for an idea on which bonuses and sites appeal to you, and you’re ready to go.

In terms of emulation, your choices will revolve around how old your PC is. Since we’re talking about modifying an older machine, chances are the 7th generation of the PS2 and Xbox are going to be on the threshold of what is possible. You might be able to run many of these games well, but if not, just take a step back to the 6th gen and you’ll still have a library of tens of thousands of games to play from.

For running these games, all you’re going to need in terms of main downloads is the RetroArch emulator program. This is a framework that can automatically download practically every worthwhile modern emulator, and streamline the installation process.

The games, or ROM files as they’re called, can be a little trickier. The general idea here is that if a game is no longer possible to buy, or if you already own a copy, you are free to download without issue.

Final Thoughts

Though these steps can easily get you started, there are a couple of other additions that might be worthy of your gaming setup if you’re an emulator player. We would especially encourage using controllers, either Bluetooth or wired, to make the games much easier to play. For those looking at older console games, it could also be worth looking for an old CRT TV for maximum nostalgic appeal. Most of all, readers need to understand that just because games are old, doesn’t mean they’re not fun.