Since 2022, SONY has been archiving and preserving its PlayStation titles. Although this initiative is not purely altruistic - it also aims to enrich the catalog of the [PlayStation Plus] service more easily (https://www.playstation.com/fr-fr/ps-plus/) - it deserves to be applauded in a context where the loss of data and source code is frequent.

This week, Garrett Fredley, the engineer in charge of the project, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the volume of archived data had reached 500 TB.

"It's strange to think what half a petabyte represents, especially in the age of modern AAA titles. It's an honor to preserve all this, but copying hundreds of millions of files is a very slow process “, he said in his message.

The project doesn't simply involve “copying and pasting” games. Simply put, preservation means ensuring that all the elements of a game - its code, graphic assets, documentation, even its creation process - are not only carefully archived, but also maintained in a state that allows them to be restored and exploited in the future. This extremely complex and technical task goes far beyond simple digital archiving.

As the video game industry evolves, many source codes, design documents and illustrations are lost. Sony seems to have realized the importance of preserving this heritage, which has accompanied gamers for over 30 years.

While this approach will undoubtedly meet, at least in part, commercial objectives, we retrogaming enthusiasts can only be delighted to see this archival work.

Photo: Push Square