Tsc - Future Of Train Simulator Classic Developer Update 15th March

Hi cereal killer,

Firstly, I do understand your concerns. We have not announced that we are in any way discontinuing support for those with older systems. You will only be limited from using the DX12 version by remaining on Windows 7 since DX12 is Windows 10/11 only. The existing 32-bit and 64-bit editions will still work on Windows 7. Whilst we are ceasing support for 32-bit moving forward it only means it will receive no further updates once we retire it. This does not mean you won't be able to use it. We have no plans to remove it entirely from being accessible by players. So, if you're still using Windows 7, ten years from now, TSC will still be playable. The DX12 version is purely experimental right now because we needed to try it to know whether it's worth pursuing or not. It is not the only avenue we're exploring. So whilst, yes, you are limited from trying it right now, that may not be the case with other options we'll be trialling.

I would highlight that the more pressing issues with remaining on Windows 7 is most likely going to be with things that are entirely outside of our control, such as with Steam since they are ceasing support for Windows 7 from January 2024 or with hardware device drivers which will no longer be updated for Windows 7. What Steam's end of support for Windows 7 means exactly remains to be seen - from a technical standpoint all it might mean is that if you are using Windows 7, you won't be able to get any support from them on any games that aren't working. However, it could also mean that you will not be able to run Steam at all since Windows 7 isn't very secure, and in the interests of protecting your account, they may stop you from loading into Steam. So, there are bigger concerns on the horizon that you need to think about carefully.

I would highly recommend speaking to a PC specialist about your existing PC. If there's something about it that is going to prevent Windows 11 from running on it, they will be best positioned to advise you on how to overcome it. It may be as simple as a setting in your motherboard's BIOS that needs to be enabled or finding an alternative solution for an older hardware device that you use. Either way, it will be a much cheaper option than having to replace your entire PC. For reference, a friend of mine has a similar hardware spec to yours though he had a GTX1080 not an RTX2060, and he just needed to enable the TPM option in his motherboard BIOS to install Windows 11. Your situation may be different but it's worth finding out. Also, whilst it may be true that the future lies with Windows 11 (or Windows 12), there are still good reasons to upgrade to Windows 10 since it is going to continue to be supported up until October 2025 with security updates continuing well into 2030. So, it still has life in it.

As mentioned above, DX12 is not the only solution we're looking at. We're also going to be exploring Vulkan too, which, as you may know is widely compatible. At this stage we're only exploring these options in the event that DX9 support is deferred to emulation instead of being hardware supported or withdrawn entirely, which is becoming increasingly likely. Given the volume of games out there that still use DX9, it is unlikely that it will disappear entirely but it is impossible to predict as hardware developers push forward. So, we do need to prepare for these eventualities by looking at options to ensure everyone can continue to play regardless of what the future throws at us. Some of these options will mean that older operating systems may no longer be supported for those specific editions. Even in those eventualities, there will always be 32-bit and 64-bit as it is now (or as it will be when we've finished tidying it up).

Hope this helps.

Best, Steve