Why Do PC Port Remasters Require So Much Modern Hardware to Run?

There is a constant flow of brand-new games being released every day. For example, Steam saw 18,984 games hit its storefront in 2024 alone. This includes remasters of some classic titles from gaming history. But why do these golden oldies require a modern PC to play? That’s what we’re going to explore today. 

Remaster Vs. Remake 

In recent years, a wide range of classic titles have been released for the modern audience, but they’re not all the same. Some are released as remasters, whereas others are labelled as remakes. But what’s the difference? 

A remaster takes an existing piece of media and basically freshens it up for modern release. This could involve adding new graphics like higher resolution support or HD textures, cleaning up the audio, fixing antiquated controls schemes, or adding new quality of life features.  

A remake will take the existing product and take it back to the drawing board. Some parts may be retained, such as the main touchstones of the story and characters. However, most other things will be switched up, such as using a new game engine, changing the perspective you play, and adding or removing content. 

FRONT MISSION 1^st: Remake 

Originally released as Front Mission for the Super Famicom in 1995, this game was a tactical RPG that spawned several sequels in later years. The game was remastered to Front Mission 1^st: Remake in 2022 and came with a range of updates and additional content, like updated graphics, customisation options, original and modern soundtrack, new maps, an additional scenario, and even multiplayer! 

To see how far this game has come to be playable on modern hardware, check out the following table. In it you can see how the specs for an SNES, which is the UK version of the Super Famicom, compare against the requirements to play the remaster on PC. 

Why Remaster? 

So, why do these remasters of games need modern hardware? Well, there are several answers to that. 

In some cases, the hardware to play these games is extremely outdated and no longer in production. A game from the 90s, for example, was designed to play on hardware with a fraction of the power of modern components. This leads to technical difficulties. 

Imagine it like this, take your favourite song, play it a thousand times faster and it’s not going to sound the same, a similar thing happens with these games. This can lead to many issues, such as the game’s AI breaking, animation bugs, or simply not even running. As such, developers of remakes need to add new code and software into games to let them play nice with a modern computer. This adds more complexity to the game engine, meaning they need more powerful hardware to run.

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remaster

We jump forward a generation or two for our next remaster, with the double release of the Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver games. Soul Reaver 1 was released for the PlayStation 1 in 1999, while its sequel Soul Reaver 2 was an early addition to the massive PS2 library back in 2001.

These games put you in the desiccated remains of the Vampiric Wraith Raziel, as he seeks to avenge himself upon his creator Kain. As this fallen vampire, you’ll explore the world of Nosgoth, fighting all manners of enemies, including Seraphim warrior priests, Sluagh, and many forms of vampires. Experience an epic story, told through hands down some of the best voice acting ever recorded for a game. 

To play either of these two games you’d have needed the consoles to go with them, whereas now you can play both on your PC in one package. As such, we’ve compiled the specs of both consoles, and the recommended PC specs to let you compare the differences in hardware requirements. 

Modern Standards

Another reason for remastering is to update the game for modern sensibilities. A game designed to be played on a CRT TV will probably not look good when displayed on a 4K monitor. This is where developers will step in and work some magic. They’ll add support for a wider range of resolutions, including 1080p, 1440p, and even 4K. Additionally, they’ll also touch up the graphics, such as adding higher resolution textures to old models. They may even add new effects into a game, such as ray tracing for improved lighting. 

This move to higher fidelity graphics comes with the requirements for more powerful hardware. A graphics processor that could play the original games would not be able to handle the larger workloads that comes with these improvements.  

Another detail that may be worked on is the soundtrack. Previously, game designers had to contend with limitations of file sizes, which meant sound and music had to be compressed to fit it in a game. However, many remasters will feature a brand-new soundtrack, either created using the original master recordings or having them re-recorded usually by the original artists.  

As these files don’t require as much compression as the original tracks, they are much larger. Which is one of the reasons many remasters require surprising amounts of storage space. 

Last of Us Part 1

This brings us to our most modern remake, The Last of Us Part One. This fantastic survival horror game was originally released for the PS3 in 2013 and has been updated for each subsequent console generation since. Which really does make the fact that it took ten years to port it to PC hurt that much more.  

Not to mention, that the port we first got was a buggy mess, full of graphical glitches, camera stutter, and the occasional crash. However, since then the game has received multiple patches, to where it is now fully playable, and in fact is an excellent choice for benchmarking your hardware. 

For those of you who have been living under a rock, missing both games and the phenomenal TV show, The Last of Us follows a smuggler called Joel. Alongside his partner Tess, Joel is trying to survive in a world that has been overrun by an outbreak of Cordyceps, a fungus that turns a living organism into a mindless killing machine.  

Joel is tasked with protecting a teenage girl called Ellie, who may have the solution to curing the Cordyceps outbreak. Their journey takes them through the heart of America, as they travel from Boston to Salt Lake City. They must contend with the worst the world can throw at them, including Clickers, bandits, government soldiers, and even cannibals. 

In the following table are the specs of a PS3, which you can compare against the recommended requirements for a PC to play The Last of Us Part 1. 

Are There Other Ways to Play Old Games? 

You don’t have to wait for a remaster to play these golden oldies, there are options that allow you to play them today.  

First off, is buying the old hardware and a copy of the game. Many purists will stick to this method as it is the way these games were intended to be played. However, the drawback is that it is getting harder and harder to find an old console and games. As such, the prices are always increasing. 

This is understood by companies like Sony and SEGA, who offer a range of retro style consoles such as the PlayStation Classic, Mega Drive Mini, and SNES Mini. These feature the designs of the OG machines, just shrunk down, and one or more retro gamepads. They also generally come packed with over a dozen classic titles, letting you play your childhood favourites, just without having to change a cartridge or CD. 

Lastly, there is emulation. This is where you simulate older hardware, such as a gaming console, using a modern computer through software called an Emulator. With this software you can play your favourite classic games without needing specialised hardware.  

To do this, you first need to own a legitimate copy of a game, after which you’ll need to create a ROM of the game, by ripping its files to your computer. There are places you can download pre-ripped ROMs, using these websites though is a legal grey area, even if you own a copy of the game, which can lead to legal problems. Once you have your ROM, simply load it using your emulation software, and you’ll be back in your favourite gaming worlds.  

However, emulation isn’t always perfect, and you may struggle with some games. Some issues that you could run into include graphical bugs, incorrect framerates, game crashes, and even games just not launching at all. You can find a wide range of emulators available for all kinds of devices, including your PC, mobile phone, tablet, Raspberry Pi, and more. 

What Are Your Views on Remasters?

Do you have any games you’d love to see remastered for a modern audience? Maybe you don’t see the point. Let us know your views in the comment section below.