Eli5 why is Video Game emulation so difficult? And how do new glitches come about?

Question

Eli5 why is Video Game emulation so difficult? And how do new glitches come about?

In: 54

Answer 1

Consoles run operating systems that are made specially for the console’s hardware.

When you’re running an emulator, you’re actually running a clone of that operating system *inside* of your actual operating system.

So now your Windows machine has to be smart enough to be a Windows machine AND another operating system, all while trying to cut down on input lag (which is a big deal for video games).

So it makes sense that the more complex the console system, the more advanced the main operating system computer has to be.

Because you can’t just run the emulator, you have to surpass it, otherwise lag gets in the way.