Preservation & Computer Architecture 2026-01-22 15 min read
The Emulation Dilemma
Hardware Physics, Input Latency, and the Epistemology of Game Preservation
Author: Evelyn A. Bellamy, Digital Preservation Wing
Permanent Identifier: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1089204
Permanent Identifier: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1089204
Scholarly Abstract
Does preserving the binary executable of a video game preserve the game itself? We investigate the physical and cognitive divergence between original silicon hardware operating on cathode ray tubes and software emulators running on modern high-latency display pipelines.
1. The Hardware Dependency Stack
Unlike a book or film, a video game is fundamentally interactive: its aesthetic experience is bounded by the exact temporal synchrony between human motor reflexes, controller switch polling, bus cycles, and display scanlines. Modern flat panels and OS compositor buffers introduce 30–80ms of latency that fundamentally alters the reaction mechanics of 1980s action titles.