In the latest episode of projectCD.Chronicles, the spotlight lands on a question you wouldn’t expect to ask of a humble 8-bit machine: Can the Commodore 64 pull off multitasking? Not real multitasking like today’s operating systems, of course—this is more of a clever simulation. But the answer? Surprisingly, yes.
The video explores how the C64 can simulate running multiple tasks at once by tapping into the power of its interrupt mechanism. By using timed interrupts, the system can rapidly switch between different bits of code, creating the illusion that everything is running simultaneously. It’s not true parallelism, but it’s a smart workaround that gives programs the appearance of multitasking, all on a machine from 1982.
What makes this approach especially interesting is how it stretches the capabilities of the hardware without modifying it. This is pure software wizardry—no cartridges, no hacks—just well-timed interrupts and careful programming.
