Preserving a game takes more than saving its files. A game may rely on a specific build, operating system, proprietary console, controller, documentation, or online service—and keeping a copy does not automatically make it runnable, understandable, or accessible. The Library of Congress’s 2025–2026 guidance treats game content, operating systems, platforms, and related materials as distinct preservation components.
What does it mean to preserve a game?
Preservation can target several different things: the software itself, the ability to run it, the original platform and interaction, documentation that explains it, or a record of how it was used. These goals overlap, but they are not interchangeable. A video of a game in use, for example, can document an experience without preserving a playable game.
The Library of Congress’s 2025–2026 Recommended Formats Statement for software and video games reflects this broader view. It identifies software content, operating systems, platforms, and associated materials as separate considerations rather than assuming that one saved file is enough.
Why keeping the files may not be enough
A game has versions and builds
Source code, a gold master, and distribution files are different objects. Each can provide different evidence about how a game was made or released. The Library of Congress lists uncompiled source code, gold master builds, and distribution files as preferred content types; preserving one does not necessarily preserve the others. Identifying which release a copy represents also matters when releases differ.
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The operating system is part of the runtime
Even intact game files may not run on current, commonly available operating systems. For games that need a particular environment, the Library recommends preserving an operating-system image. That image can help retain the conditions needed to run the software, though it does not by itself solve every hardware or service dependency.
Platforms change how a game behaves
A console or handheld is not simply a container for game files. Platform-specific hardware, controls, and behavior can shape how a player interacts with a title, and releases for different platforms may not be equivalent. The Library notes that a release for each platform may be needed and that the preferred platform may need to be supplied virtually or through emulation.
When emulation is unavailable, its guidance accepts the original hardware, controllers, and power supply. Those items preserve practical context that a file copy alone cannot convey.
Online services can be part of the game
Some games depend on external services or servers. If those dependencies cannot be recreated, files may survive while the original experience does not. The Library accepts video of software in use when a preservation copy is absent or significant online dependencies cannot be recreated. Such a recording can document activity; it is not an equivalent replacement for an interactive service.
Documentation and description make collections usable
Preservation also involves recording what an item is, how it relates to other materials, and what conditions it needs. Without useful descriptions and accompanying documentation, a surviving build may be difficult to identify, interpret, or provide to users. The Library of Congress says interactive media raises acquisition, description, preservation, and access challenges. Its National Audio-Visual Conservation Center holds more than 5,000 videogames, amassed through copyright deposit and private donation; the Library’s page does not state a publication year for that figure. See “Would You Like to Save Your Game?”.
How preservation approaches differ
No single approach preserves every aspect of a game. The suitable combination depends on what survives, whether emulation is possible, and whether the title relies on an external server.
Rank #4
| Approach | What it can preserve | What it does not guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| Keep source code, builds, and distribution files | Software content and distinct development or release versions identified by the collection | A working runtime, original platform behavior, or continued online services |
| Preserve an operating-system image | A runtime environment for a game that does not run on commonly available operating systems | Compatibility with unavailable hardware or services |
| Provide a virtual platform or emulation | A way to run a game where the required platform can be represented virtually | Exact equivalence to every aspect of the original hardware and interaction |
| Retain original platform hardware and accessories | Platform context when emulation is unavailable, including controllers and power supply | Continued operation of external servers or unrestricted access |
| Record software in use on video | Audiovisual documentation when a preservation copy is absent or significant online dependencies cannot be recreated | A playable game or a functioning interactive service |
The Library’s recommendations describe preferred materials and options, not a claim that one method recreates every original experience. Its general preservation FAQ provides broader preservation context.
Why rights and access limit preservation
Preserving a copy and making it available are separate questions. In the United States, the Copyright Office says Section 1201 generally prohibits circumvention of technological protection measures; exemptions are limited, temporary, and made through a rulemaking process. Its Section 1201 2018 FAQ explains that framework.
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A specific regulation describes a narrow preservation route for eligible libraries, archives, and museums. Under 37 CFR 201.40, the route covers qualifying lawfully acquired complete games that are no longer reasonably available and do not require an external gameplay server, subject to conditions including on-premises access. The regulation defines “complete games” as “video games that can be played by users without accessing or reproducing copyrightable content stored or previously stored on an external computer server.” This is not general permission for individuals to download or share games, for remote public access, or for every server-dependent title. The legal details here are U.S.-specific.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this means for a player or collector
Keeping a lawfully obtained game and its original materials can help preserve evidence of a release and the equipment it used. But file retention alone cannot ensure that the software will remain runnable or that an online feature will continue to work. For institutional preservation, the Library of Congress guidance points to a fuller record: software content, the relevant operating system and platform where needed, and materials that support description and use.
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