Legendary Doom developer John Carmack theorizes that the world’s tech could run on outdated hardware if it was properly optimized

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In a recent social media discussion, the question “Can it play Doom?” takes on a fresh interpretation, following John Carmack’s involvement. This thought experiment poses the intriguing question: Suppose humanity ceased producing new functional CPUs. The ensuing years after this hypothetical day, often referred to as “Z-Day” or “Zero Tape-out Day,” are under scrutiny in this thread. Carmack contributes his perspective that many of our world’s technologies could continue functioning on outdated hardware, but there’s a condition.

Legendary developer John Carmack theorizes that the world could run on outdated hardware

As a gamer reflecting on Z-Day’s aftermath, I ponder that in the early post-apocalyptic years, Xeon microprocessors would be more valuable than gold. The black market would flourish, leading to a time when cars became non-computerized, and the internet as we know it would cease to exist. Carmack chips in with an interesting thought: “If software optimization was truly prioritized, much of the world might still run on outdated hardware.

Modern triple-A video games sometimes play out like a game of chance, despite boasting the largest budgets and years of dedicated work. Ironically, they can still stutter or malfunction upon launch, even on high-performance consoles and computers that are supposed to support them flawlessly. Examples abound, such as the rocky debuts of games like Cyberpunk 2077, Fallout 76, Battlefield 4, and others. This unfortunate trend has become almost commonplace in the gaming industry.

Consider a time when games like Doom could operate on a calculator. Companies such as Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo frequently release new games exclusively for their latest consoles to stimulate hardware sales. While Microsoft may not do this as often these days, the question remains: is the new hardware truly essential? Likely not, considering that Mario Kart World could run on the original Nintendo Switch in 2017. Nintendo has a reputation for exceptional triple-A optimization, with their games featuring smaller file sizes compared to other publishers. For instance, even with additional content, the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Kirby and the Forgotten Land is somehow smaller than the original.

Perhaps it’s reasonable to think that maximizing efficiency isn’t always the primary focus for contemporary hardware. It’s understandable that technology companies wouldn’t want devices to last an eternity or even several years. The practice of planned obsolescence, such as what Apple faces with the iPhone, is a topic that has been under scrutiny. Similar to the story of light bulb manufacturers conspiring to shorten the lifespan of their products so consumers would buy more, if software optimization was genuinely prioritized, we might not have to fret about a “Z-Day” as much. However, we currently live in a world where this isn’t always the case.

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2025-05-15 22:32