porting Archives

AppWizard

July 11, 2026

Call of Duty fans surprised to discover new Black Ops 2 port preserves the emblem editor, not surprised to find swastikas being made with it

Activision has released updated ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010) and Black Ops 2 (2012), exclusively for PlayStation and priced at each. The ports feature enhanced graphics up to 1080p and include the return of the emblem editor, allowing players to create custom emblems. However, the absence of strict moderation may lead to inappropriate content. Critics noted the lack of an option to disable custom emblems and the omission of Wager matches from Black Ops. Additionally, modern enhancements like field of view sliders and high refresh rates are not included in these ports.

AppWizard

July 10, 2026

Hundreds of PS3 games to be saved from digital store closure with new PC ports

PlayStation announced the closure of the PlayStation 3 digital store, raising concerns about the preservation of gaming history. The majority of the PlayStation 3 library is available on physical discs, but the loss of digital content is significant. PlayStation plans to phase out physical media production by 2028. A community of PlayStation 3 enthusiasts is working to keep titles accessible online. Efforts to decompile PlayStation 3 games are underway, with a new tool simplifying the emulation process. This tool navigates the complexities of the console's Cell Processor, potentially revolutionizing emulation. Many PlayStation 2 and 3 games are only available through cloud-streaming or require a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, which has technical issues. Fans are taking on the responsibility of preserving these games, highlighting a need for PlayStation to enhance compatibility with modern platforms or consider porting games to PC.

AppWizard

July 9, 2026

YouTuber gets Minecraft running on an original Game Boy Color, and it even looks kinda playable

A YouTuber named Game of Tobi has ported Minecraft to the original Game Boy, creating a playable .gbc file that captures the essence of 3D gameplay while operating at half speed and in black and white. The project showcases the capabilities of the original hardware, despite its limitations, and follows a previous successful port to the Game Boy Color. The textures are simplified to maintain performance, and the endeavor reflects a spirit of experimentation within the gaming community.

AppWizard

July 1, 2026

PlayStation PC Retreat Is A Mistake, As 18+ Months Late Ports Made Money Without Costing a Single Console Sale

In recent years, PlayStation has shifted its strategy by porting titles previously exclusive to PlayStation 4 and 5, such as God of War and The Last of Us, to PC. This transition was confirmed by SIE's president, Hideaki Nishino, who stated that future ports will focus on multiplayer and live-service games. Former PlayStation head Shawn Layden discussed the rationale behind this strategy, emphasizing the importance of reaching a broader audience beyond console owners. He noted that the late PC ports have successfully introduced PlayStation's characters to new players and have not negatively impacted core sales, as those waiting for PC releases were unlikely to buy the hardware. Layden supports staggered PC releases to maintain platform exclusivity, which he believes is essential for differentiating the PlayStation brand and driving hardware sales. He cautioned against a day-and-date release strategy, which could dilute the brand's identity. PlayStation is also mindful of competition from Xbox, which releases exclusives on PC simultaneously, and is committed to keeping certain titles exclusive to its consoles.

AppWizard

June 20, 2026

Sony confirms PS5 and PC are still “the standard” platforms for live-service PlayStation games

PlayStation CEO Hideaki Nishino stated that live-service PlayStation games will remain available on both PS5 and PC, while single-player games developed in-house will become exclusive to PlayStation. Each game will be evaluated individually for its release platforms, with a focus on expanding the audience for live-service titles. Sony aims to enhance the unique experiences of single-player games on its hardware, suggesting future exclusivity for narrative-driven titles. This marks a shift from previous strategies where several major titles were released on PC after console exclusivity. The acquisition of Nixxes Software supports Sony's dual-platform approach.

AppWizard

June 18, 2026

Xbox is porting two classic Call of Duty games to PlayStation — and they’re coming very, very soon

Treyarch announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010) and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012) will be ported to PlayStation platforms, likely for PS4 and PS5, starting in July. Iron Galaxy Studios will handle the modernization of these titles. The games have been available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S since 2016 through Microsoft's Backwards Compatibility Program. There are uncertainties about whether existing PS3 owners will access the new versions for free or transfer their progress. The new ports are expected to integrate with the existing server network. Xbox and PC players have expressed frustration over issues with Black Ops and Black Ops 2 on Xbox, including a locked 720p resolution and hacking problems, as well as the absence of these titles on Xbox Game Pass.

Winsage

June 16, 2026

A Brief History Of Unix Commands On Windows: CoreUtils (Again)

The interaction between Unix/Linux and Windows has historically been marked by significant differences in their architectures and philosophies. Unix uses a fork() function for process management, while Windows employs CreateProcess(), complicating the implementation of Unix-like tools on Windows. Early solutions to bridge this gap included the MKS Toolkit, which provided Unix-like commands for Windows, and UWIN from AT&T Bell Labs, which aimed to create a Unix interface layer on Windows. Cygwin offered a compatibility DLL to run Unix software on Windows, but required rebuilding from source. Microsoft's initiatives included POSIX, Interix, and later Services for UNIX. The introduction of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) allowed users to run a Linux userland directly on Windows, with WSL 2 incorporating a real Linux kernel. Recently, Microsoft released Coreutils for Windows, providing native builds of Unix-style tools to enhance cross-platform consistency.

AppWizard

June 14, 2026

Sony pulling back from PC also means it’s pulling back from China

Sony has shifted away from porting singleplayer PlayStation titles to PC, raising concerns about competition with Valve. Alinea Insights reported that 42% of Death Stranding 2's PC sales came from China, its largest market on Steam. Approximately 39.48% of Steam users have their language set to English, while 21.85% prefer Simplified Chinese, representing over 30 million players. Shift Up, developer of Stellar Blade, announced they will not partner with Sony for the sequel, focusing on a global market strategy. Alinea's analysis shows that releasing games on PC does not harm PlayStation sales; Death Stranding 2 saw increased PS sales following its PC launch, and Stellar Blade also experienced a rise in PS5 sales despite not being discounted. Launching games on PC broadens the player base and enhances marketing opportunities.

Winsage

June 12, 2026

“Xbox will dissolve into Windows,” ex PlayStation boss says, which is Microsoft’s “strength”

Reports indicate that Xbox is preparing for significant company-wide layoffs expected at the end of June 2026 as part of a restructuring initiative led by new CEO Asha Sharma. The exact number of job losses and affected departments are currently uncertain. Shuhei Yoshida, a former executive at Sony Interactive Entertainment, suggested in a tweet that "Xbox will dissolve into Windows," hinting at a potential structural transformation within the company. Xbox has been experiencing declining hardware sales and has started porting flagship titles to the PlayStation 5. Additionally, there are rumors that the next generation of Xbox, referred to as Project Helix, may utilize Windows instead of the traditional Xbox operating system.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus creator Fumito Ueda would like to see his old games on PC someday, too

Fumito Ueda, known for his work on Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian, has released a new game on PC called Gen Atlas, in collaboration with Epic Games. This marks Ueda's first directorial project aimed at PC gamers. He previously worked as an animator at Kenji Eno's studio Warp before transitioning to Sony, where he focused on PlayStation-exclusive titles until The Last Guardian in 2016. Ueda expressed hope for more of his creations to be available on PC, despite Sony's current strategy not indicating plans to port its back catalog to that platform.