GOG is tackling PC games preservation with new program

GOG has always been at the heart of retro PC gaming. It has a vast storefront with newer games, but GOG is where you can find DRM-free copies of Beyond Good & Evil or Silent Hill 4: The Room (that’s just some of what’s in my GOG library, but you get the idea). There are a lot of games you could play through GOG that would be difficult to get anywhere else.

GOG, owned by CD Projekt Red, is capitalizing on that brand with the GOG Preservation Program, which was announced on Wednesday. Games in this program are called “Good Old Games” now on the storefront, and will be supported by GOG in as close to their original state as possible for modern PCs.

“If a game is part of the Preservation Program, it means that we commit our own resources to maintaining its compatibility with modern and future systems,” the blog post announcement reads. So while games currently work on Windows 10 and 11 (no Mac or Linux just yet), the promise means they’ll even work on future PCs.

Currently, there are 100 games in the program, including popular titles like System Shock 2, Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition, The Witcher: Enhanced Edition, and the original Diablo, with more set to be added. A lot of these games have been on the store for a while, but the program acts as GOG’s guarantee that they’ll receive updates from GOG itself, even if the original developer has moved on, and meet certain standards for the player. They’re also DRM-free, so you don’t have to worry about the license being revoked with a delisting or not being able to play it without an internet connection.

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For example, GOG published the Resident Evil Bundle earlier this year, which featured the first three original Resident Evil titles for $25. GOG only added some quality-of-life improvements, like new rendering options, more localization, and controller support, and ensured it would run on modern PCs. Basically, it’s as close to the original experience as you can get beyond an emulator or an older physical copy.

Games preservation has been in a bad place for a while, with companies shutting down older stores that often featured digital-only titles. While Sony eventually reversed its decision to close the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita storefronts after backlash, Nintendo removed its Wii U and 3DS eShops for good in 2023. While platforms have made improvements in this area, with both Nintendo and PlayStation publishing retro titles on their subscription services and Xbox supporting backward compatibility on its modern consoles, PC hasn’t fared as well. Remakes are great, but they often can’t replicate the feeling of the original release.

“Unfortunately, the classic PC games market is in a sorry state. It’s too tiny for leading platforms to give it any attention. Classic releases often get the sell-it-and-forget-it treatment, and as time goes on and technology evolves, compatibility issues arise and remain unaddressed,” the GOG blog post read.