Old games are getting a new kind of revival. Instead of relying entirely on emulators, developers are increasingly using decompilation and static recompilation to turn older console and arcade games into applications that can run more like native PC games and even in Linux and Steam Deck.
AI is now helping speed up that process.
Modders Are Using NSA’s Ghidra to Take Games Apart
One of the important tools behind these projects is Ghidra, a free reverse-engineering tool originally developed by the U.S. National Security Agency.
Ghidra allows developers to inspect compiled programs even when the original source code is unavailable. It can analyze machine instructions and generate a more readable representation of how the software works.
However, it does not instantly produce clean or usable source code.
Developers still need to understand the output, identify functions, rename variables, fix errors, test behavior, and often rewrite portions manually before the program can work properly on modern hardware.
AI Helps Developers Understand the Decompiled Code
This is where modern AI coding tools can help.Reverse-engineered code can contain generic function names, unknown memory addresses, incomplete structures, and low-level instructions that are difficult to understand.
AI can help developers analyze these functions, explain what sections of code may be doing, translate low-level instructions into more readable code, identify patterns, and troubleshoot errors.
AI does not replace Ghidra or automatically turn an old game into a working PC port. Instead, developers can use Ghidra to inspect and analyze the original program, while AI acts as an assistant that helps make sense of the resulting code faster.
This Is Different From Traditional Emulation
Traditional emulators recreate the behavior of an older console or arcade system while the game is running. Decompilation and static recompilation take a different approach. Developers examine the original executable, reconstruct or translate parts of its code, and compile that code for modern computers.
Some hardware-specific functions may still require compatibility layers, but much of the original game logic can run more like a native PC application. This can also make it easier to support modern features such as widescreen displays, higher resolutions, improved controls, mods, and other quality-of-life improvements.
Steam Deck Is a Perfect Match
Handheld PCs such as the Steam Deck make this trend even more interesting.
Instead of launching an emulator and configuring multiple settings, a native port can be added directly to a game library and launched like a regular PC application.
That can make older games easier to play on modern handheld hardware while also allowing developers to add support for modern controllers, display resolutions, and other platform features.
AI Is Accelerating an Existing Movement
Decompilation and recompilation existed long before generative AI. Reverse-engineering tools such as Ghidra were already helping developers understand old software years before modern AI coding assistants became widely available.
What AI changes is how quickly some of the difficult work can be understood and processed. A simplified version of the workflow can look like this:
Original game → Ghidra analyzes the program → developers reconstruct the code → AI helps interpret and troubleshoot it → modern PC build
AI is not doing everything by itself, and developers still need technical knowledge to verify the results. But when combined with reverse-engineering tools and experienced developers, AI can help make the process faster and more manageable.
A New Future for Old Games
Emulation will continue to play an important role in game preservation. But tools like Ghidra, modern recompilers, and AI coding assistants are opening another path.
Instead of always recreating decades-old hardware, developers can study the original software, rebuild or translate its code, and make it run on modern PCs and handheld devices.
As these tools continue to improve, we may see more older games receiving unofficial modern ports and gaining a second life on today’s hardware.