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Popular Nintendo GameCube and Wii emulator Dolphin will no longer support operating systems older than Windows 10. Coming just weeks after Nintendo Switch emulator Ryujinx made a similar announcement, the coming change was hinted at in the last Dolphin progress report, posted on May 17, while discussing an issue caused by Windows 7. Two days later, a change was noticed by reddit user u/DolphinUser on the official website's FAQ, saying that Dolphin is supported on Windows 10 and newer. A Dolphin developer responded, saying they would "have an official announcement with full reasoning and data coming up soon."

 

[xdarkmario]

me: *RAFFS in Linux*

 

[Stone_Wings]

I still use Win 7 32 bit.
Can't even use a 64 bit OS as many old applications I use will simply refuse work

What are a handful of Windows apps that wont work on a 64bit OS?

 

[k7ra]

Wait, new windows out?
Guess I should update from 95 then.

 

[chrisrlink]

Well i already pirate windows and have done so since like 8.1, plus dolphin is already in a near perfect state imo so even if i didn't i'd be fine.

Also linux is a thing and by god i hope it continues to seep into the mainstream because microsoft is only gonna get worse every release if it means making money. It's dogshit already and i would move if i could but my main PC is also a workstation so i'm kinda fucked lol.

valve already "gets it" hence proton and steamOS3 (whenever it officially releases on PC for now use Holo) Proton continues to be improved (wouldn't be supprised if at least all the "current" library (as in the ones released as of today) are supported within a year or 2 then you have Heroic game launcher for GOG/EGS and bottles (on flathub/flatpak) for everything else

 

[SRKTiberious]

Then why not just play Switch instead of Wii or Gamecube?

 

[AlineP]

RIP Android. Only Win10 and newer

 

[kirokun]

Switched from 7 to 10 to 11 in like a day.


Reason was because Adobe no longer supported Win 7 and I need those applications. Also Win 10 is getting discontinued in like 3 years so w.e 11 it is. As much as some of us hate it, migrating is just part of change, remember how many people kept Windows XP instead of moving to vista?

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Honestly, I think it's the right move, regardless of the reasons. Upgrade to Windows 10 or switch to Linux, anything is better than staying on 7.

*modsnip*

 

[_47iscool]

"caused by Windows 7"

Windows 7 caused nothing.

They like the newer software and are tired of dealing with the old.
As I said before I respect them for holding out this long, but the truth is that both they and the pcsx2 developers could keep supporting it if they wished.

Reminds me of how some programs require installing all of these newer redistributables on Windows 7. It's probably easier to work with so instead of using what's already available they prefer to 'shortcut' so to speak.

It's nice to be able to download a program and it work without having to have this and that installed.

 

[bonkmaykr]

I honestly just don't see the point in staying on Windows 7 anymore.

Yeah, it's a little less bloated and loads faster, but... if you cared about performance over compatibility (which you are already sacrificing by using a build of Windows that is almost as fucking old as I am), you should just be using Linux at that point.

That headline scared me though, lol. "only supported on Windows 10".

It's nice to be able to download a program and it work without having to have this and that installed.

A lot of times there's a good reason for these newer dependencies to exist.

Not sure how much programming experience you have, but maybe you would understand if you had some.

Yeah, it's technically possible to get away with old libraries but... sometimes that's losing a LOT.

 

[Vila_]

What a shame, I won't be able to run it on my pc with windows 3.1

 

[rantex92]

Honestly, I think it's the right move, regardless of the reasons. Upgrade to Windows 10 or switch to Linux, anything is better than staying on 7.

Nobody should be using Windows 7 anymore. You only have yourself to blame if you get malware.
Also, you only have 4 GB of RAM? I hardly even consider that usable these days, it's rather laggy and you can barely open any applications.

i love those types of people who say they rather stay on 7 than go for win 10 or 11 because the mainstream/their fav ytuber opinion is those operating systems are bad you cant argue rational with them

even if you try to explain that its easier for people to exploit them when using win 7 they wont listen (most of them still running old java or better adobe flashplayer just to name two entry points )

 

[Stone_Wings]

I still use Win 7 32 bit.
Can't even use a 64 bit OS as many old applications I use will simply refuse work

I'll ask again. What are a handful of Windows apps that wont work on a 64bit OS? You state there are many you cannot use due to this. Can you please name some of them?

 

[DinohScene]

I'll ask again. What are a handful of Windows apps that wont work on a 64bit OS? You state there are many you cannot use due to this. Can you please name some of them?

Do I know you?

We're not gonna debate 32 bit vs 64 bit here, get lost.

 

[SG854]

Planned Obselescense

 

[linkchidori]

What exclusivity? Switch emulators started showing up like a year after its release, and now we're even to the point where other portable systems can emulate it. If they don't want PC gamers pirating their games (and even getting exclusive early access to many of them), then they need to provide a convenient alternative.

Its not about other machines being able to emulate, i think its more about how the market percieves you in general. Even if the Switch is relatively easy to emulate, how many people are actually emulating instead of buying and playing games on the Switch vs those on PC?. At last, the mainstream consumer will probably not bother that much on pirating unless they have a bit more knowledge; i´ve known a lot people that suffer a lot just to configure a single emulator, and they pretty much would prefer the real deal.

 

[console]

Oh no way! Oh man!!! Please continue support Windows 7. Bring on and keep support Windows 7 to put in with Windows 10/11 together! Thanks to Dolphin developers for understand. Because people who and some of us are big fans of Windows 7 refuse to upgrade to Windows 10/11. That's our choice. I will continue to using my Windows 7 for few more years before move into Linux.

I'm still have 3 computers are running Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 Bit. I don't want to bother upgrade to Windows 10 and 11 due to buggy updates.

Windows 10 and 11 and Linux 64 Bit can running on Windows 7 by use program name is VMware Workstation Pro. That is what I tested for my proof for to work.

Windows 7 and 10 (32 bit only) and Linux 32 bit can running on Windows XP by use program name is VMware Workstation without problems. Please notice that Windows 11 (64 Bit) will not working to running on Windows XP 32 Bit due to weak operating system and limited to control over another operating system.

 

[sombrerosonic]

Nice, a new api update for a great emulator

 

[ihaveahax]

Oh no way! Oh man!!! Please continue support Windows 7. Bring on and keep support Windows 7 to put in with Windows 10/11 together! Thanks to Dolphin developers for understand. Because people who and some of us are big fans of Windows 7 refuse to upgrade to Windows 10/11. That's our choice. I will continue to using my Windows 7 for few more years before move into Linux.

I'm still have 3 computers are running Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 Bit. I don't want to bother upgrade to Windows 10 and 11 due to buggy updates.

Windows 10 and 11 and Linux 64 Bit can running on Windows 7 by use program name is VMware Workstation Pro. That is what I tested for my proof for to work.

Windows 7 and 10 (32 bit only) and Linux 32 bit can running on Windows XP by use program name is VMware Workstation without problems. Please notice that Windows 11 (64 Bit) will not working to running on Windows XP 32 Bit due to weak operating system and limited to control over another operating system.

It's your choice to use Windows 7 just as much as it is the choice of the Dolphin developers to drop support because it is becoming a maintenance burden. Like explained in the most recent progress report, Windows 7 lacks certain features (namely the function UnmapViewOfFileEx and Windows.Gaming.Input, which do not exist before 8 and 10) which Dolphin needs to support certain features (large texture packs and additional controller features). It also seems some other changes related to Qt6 broke support and it wasn't an easy fix anymore. The old versions will always be there to use.

 

[Darkworld92]

Oh no way! Oh man!!! Please continue support Windows 7. Bring on and keep support Windows 7 to put in with Windows 10/11 together! Thanks to Dolphin developers for understand. Because people who and some of us are big fans of Windows 7 refuse to upgrade to Windows 10/11. That's our choice. I will continue to using my Windows 7 for few more years before move into Linux.

I'm still have 3 computers are running Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 Bit. I don't want to bother upgrade to Windows 10 and 11 due to buggy updates.

Windows 10 and 11 and Linux 64 Bit can running on Windows 7 by use program name is VMware Workstation Pro. That is what I tested for my proof for to work.

Windows 7 and 10 (32 bit only) and Linux 32 bit can running on Windows XP by use program name is VMware Workstation without problems. Please notice that Windows 11 (64 Bit) will not working to running on Windows XP 32 Bit due to weak operating system and limited to control over another operating system.

Windows 10 isn't that bad, in a lot of ways it's like an improved Windows 7 without aero.