32-Bit OS: The New PS3 Limitations?

[KisaiTenshi]

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To address your question of whether support for 32-bit systems in the future, though, I doubt it. If Microsoft had released Win10 as 64-bit only, it might make sense in a few years, but they didn't. So even people running the latest version of Windows might not have 64-bit capability. That'll make it hard for SE to assess the number of affected customers. Few serious gamers would be affected - the restriction on RAM is a deathblow for more demanding games, so 64-bit versions of Windows are required - but casual ones might be.

The problem is that every version of Windows since XP have had a 64-bit version, the only reason 32-bit versions are still available is because enterprise (business) don't like to upgrade hardware.

So many software companies of critical things (eg the lack of 64-bit flash held back Chrome and Firefox, and only this year have the browser vendors moved to just disable it) just dragged their feet until there became more pressure to allow 64-bit security features. (Did you know that 32-bit software can have their memory space inspected by ANY other 32-bit software?) This isn't true for 64-bit software.

Firefox dragged it's feet forever to put out a 64-bit version. So did Chrome. You know who had the first 64-bit browser? Microsoft. Linux and FreeBSD have been able to build firefox and chromium in 64-bit mode since the beginning, but it was never a supported build.

Anyway, it's being dragged off topic, but the idea that "just upgrade your hardware hurrrr" doesn't fly on the PC platform, otherwise every game would only be designed for the highest-end hardware available, instead of the average. The "average" PC hardware is weaker than the PS4.

One of the other more viable reasons to terminate 32-bit software support is to make it harder for bugs to be exploited since memory randomization prevents being able to targeted.

[Vhailor]

Anyway, it's being dragged off topic, but the idea that "just upgrade your hardware hurrrr" doesn't fly on the PC platform, otherwise every game would only be designed for the highest-end hardware available, instead of the average. The "average" PC hardware is weaker than the PS4.

That's not entirely true, but it is dragging off-topic a bit. Expecting users to have reasonably high-end hardware isn't equivalent to expecting them to have the highest-end hardware available. The only reason that I'd say a 32-bit OS doesn't fall into the 'reasonable expectation' category is that a lot of people still buy computers from stores, and many of those ship with 32-bit OSes. On the other hand, SE requiring 3GB of RAM for Stormblood (over the 2GB of RAM for ARR) is entirely reasonable, and they could've even put that at 4GB. Responding with a nicer form of "just upgrade your hardware hurrrr" would be entirely reasonable in that case.

As an aside, it seems like you misinterpreted my post. How, exactly, did anything you write impact, or even pertain to, my basic statement of "SE likely won't end 32-bit support because 32-bit OSes are still unfortunately prevalent"?

[KisaiTenshi]

That's not entirely true, but it is dragging off-topic a bit. Expecting users to have reasonably high-end hardware isn't equivalent to expecting them to have the highest-end hardware available. The only reason that I'd say a 32-bit OS doesn't fall into the 'reasonable expectation' category is that a lot of people still buy computers from stores, and many of those ship with 32-bit OSes. On the other hand, SE requiring 3GB of RAM for Stormblood (over the 2GB of RAM for ARR) is entirely reasonable, and they could've even put that at 4GB. Responding with a nicer form of "just upgrade your hardware hurrrr" would be entirely reasonable in that case.

As an aside, it seems like you misinterpreted my post. How, exactly, did anything you write impact, or even pertain to, my basic statement of "SE likely won't end 32-bit support because 32-bit OSes are still unfortunately prevalent"?

Given Microsoft's historical record on abandoning hardware faster than Apple, and it not being in the position to do so with the Windows operating system, Microsoft supported Windows XP for a good 16 years once you take into account that recent patch due to that recent wave of ransomware.

Like, to be brutally honest, I wish Microsoft would just drop 32-bit support entirely and require 32GB of RAM on new systems. Throw up a "warning this software uses the 32-bit compatibility layer" warning before running 32-bit software the first time to maybe light a fire under developers butts who are dragging their heels.