émulation

Émulation is the process of reproducing the functions of a particular computer system, such as a video game console or an older computer, on a different device. This is typically achieved through software programs called emulators. Emulators interpret the instructions and hardware calls of the original system and translate them into commands that the host system can understand and execute. This allows users to run software designed for one platform on another, often for archival, educational, or recreational purposes.

The primary goal of emulation is to achieve a high degree of compatibility with the original system, meaning that the emulated software should behave as closely as possible to how it would on the original hardware. This involves simulating not just the central processing unit (CPU) but also other components like the graphics processing unit (GPU), sound chips, memory, and input devices. The complexity of emulation varies greatly depending on the target system; emulating a simple 8-bit console is considerably less demanding than emulating a modern gaming console or a complex mainframe computer.

Legal considerations surrounding emulation often revolve around copyright. While the act of emulation itself is generally considered legal, the distribution of copyrighted software, known as ROMs or disk images, is typically illegal without permission from the copyright holder. Many emulator developers create their own BIOS or firmware code rather than redistributing copyrighted material from the original systems. Despite these challenges, emulation remains a popular way to preserve and access historical software and gaming experiences.