Using a Console's Hard Drive and Operating System on a PC

[Splicer_1]

HDD and SSD formats are generally universal when it comes to computers, and console operating systems were all developed on computers in the first place, so could you theoretically take a console's hard drive, plug it into a computer, and boot up the console's OS on the computer?

(On a side note, could you also use other parts of a console on a PC?)
I'm just tired of the "console wars" with their exclusives and just want to find a compromise....

 

[James Mason]

No, because the console is programmed to only be able to use the consoles specific hardware.

You know computer drivers? there aren't any available for the console hardware, and there aren't versions of them available for the console OS.

 

[hang-the-9]

HDD and SSD formats are generally universal when it comes to computers, and console operating systems were all developed on computers in the first place, so could you theoretically take a console's hard drive, plug it into a computer, and boot up the console's OS on the computer?

(On a side note, could you also use other parts of a console on a PC?)
I'm just tired of the "console wars" with their exclusives and just want to find a compromise....

Being coded and designed on a computer does not make the end result usable on a computer. Cars are also designed on a computer, can you plug in a Ford 4 cylinder engine in a computer and have it play World of Warcraft?

 

[gamerk316]

I design software for a PowerPC based system on a Windows OS. I can't run the software there, I just develop it there.

Same logic applies here.

 

[Splicer_1]

No, because the console is programmed to only be able to use the consoles specific hardware.

You know computer drivers? there aren't any available for the console hardware, and there aren't versions of them available for the console OS.

I design software for a PowerPC based system on a Windows OS. I can't run the software there, I just develop it there.

Same logic applies here.

Both of you make a valid point, and is very understandable in that regard.
Still, there must be some way to either run a program that can act as a "liaison" for the OS and the system, or to somehow extract the driver program from the source and modifying the code in places if it needs to be more "flexible" with different hardware.

All theoretical, of course, but it sounds promising.

 

[James Mason]

No, because the console is programmed to only be able to use the consoles specific hardware.

You know computer drivers? there aren't any available for the console hardware, and there aren't versions of them available for the console OS.

I design software for a PowerPC based system on a Windows OS. I can't run the software there, I just develop it there.

Same logic applies here.

Both of you make a valid point, and is very understandable in that regard.
Still, there must be some way to either run a program that can act as a "liaison" for the OS and the system, or to somehow extract the driver program from the source and modifying the code in places if it needs to be more "flexible" with different hardware.

All theoretical, of course, but it sounds promising.

Those are called Emulators, they're possible, they exist for older consoles but nothing newer than the PS3/360 has been emulated.

 

[Splicer_1]

Those are called Emulators, they're possible, they exist for older consoles but nothing newer than the PS3/360 has been emulated.

I've heard about emulators; clever programming if I do say so myself!
Unfortunately from what I've heard, they've been somewhat notorious for their instability and low security.

It would be better if someone could somehow find a way to launch it from the hard drive itself, sort of like how Bootcamp works for Windows and Mac.

That or we can try to encourage the developers of the consoles to release their own emulators.

More platforms=More customers=More $$$$

 

[James Mason]

1. Bootcamp is an emulator for windows. Also Windows and Macs use the exact same hardware, so it's very easy. Consoles all have unique hardware you can't find anywhere else.

2. It would just emulate the hardware, and the games would more often than not run worse than they would on the console. The reason consoles can work with their weak hardware is because the game devs know exactly what they're developing for and can tweak it to work as best as possible.