If you play on a machine that is not connected to internet, then by all means there is no reason to switch. But of you are connected to the internet, then those system pose security risks and you would be better off having an up to date system. If Win 10 wasn’t EOL then maybe the advice to upgrade to Win10 would be solid.
Possibly…but I think some of that depends too on what is meant by “online.” Obviously, if you frequent questionable sites and install unvetted software, that’s a bad idea. OTOH, having a machine with strict firewall rules (so not everything can just phone home), limited outbound access, no daily browsing/email, and only going online occasionally for specific, known downloads is a different situation than using it as a general-purpose internet PC.
Even occasional access to a small number of mainstream, HTTPS-authenticated sites (e.g., major services where the browser can verify certificates) isn’t the same exposure as wide-open browsing. (nb: Firefox’s ESR releases have historically helped extend browser security support on older systems for a while, which can reduce risk somewhat - though obviously not indefinitely.)
Look, I’m not arguing that EOL systems are “safe.” They’re not getting patches. But exposure matters. A mostly appliance-like gaming box that’s segmented and tightly controlled isn’t the same risk profile as someone’s primary web machine.
If you play on a machine that is not connected to internet, then by all means there is no reason to switch. But of you are connected to the internet, then those system pose security risks and you would be better off having an up to date system. If Win 10 wasn’t EOL then maybe the advice to upgrade to Win10 would be solid.
Possibly…but I think some of that depends too on what is meant by “online.” Obviously, if you frequent questionable sites and install unvetted software, that’s a bad idea. OTOH, having a machine with strict firewall rules (so not everything can just phone home), limited outbound access, no daily browsing/email, and only going online occasionally for specific, known downloads is a different situation than using it as a general-purpose internet PC.
Even occasional access to a small number of mainstream, HTTPS-authenticated sites (e.g., major services where the browser can verify certificates) isn’t the same exposure as wide-open browsing. (nb: Firefox’s ESR releases have historically helped extend browser security support on older systems for a while, which can reduce risk somewhat - though obviously not indefinitely.)
Look, I’m not arguing that EOL systems are “safe.” They’re not getting patches. But exposure matters. A mostly appliance-like gaming box that’s segmented and tightly controlled isn’t the same risk profile as someone’s primary web machine.
ICBW and YMMV.