World of Spectrum

Overview

World of Spectrum (WoS) is the definitive online archive for ZX Spectrum preservation, cataloguing virtually every game, utility, and piece of software ever released for Sinclair’s 8-bit computer. Founded by Martijn van der Heide in 1995, it hosts thousands of downloadable tape images, scanned materials, and comprehensive metadata, making it an essential resource for researchers, players, and developers.

Fast Facts

Founded: 1995
Founder: Martijn van der Heide
URL: worldofspectrum.org
Content: 25,000+ titles
Focus: ZX Spectrum software preservation

What’s Preserved

Content Type	Scope
Software	Games, utilities, demos
Tape images	.tap, .tzx formats
Scans	Covers, inlays, manuals
Screenshots	Loading and gameplay
Metadata	Credits, reviews, history
Magazines	Scanned issues

The Archive

Comprehensive coverage:

Commercial releases
Budget re-releases
Public domain software
Magazine type-ins
Unreleased prototypes
Modern homebrew

Community Features

Beyond the archive:

Forums - Active discussion
Reviews - User ratings
Interviews - Developer histories
News - Scene updates
Links - Related resources

Preservation Methodology

How WoS operates:

Collect physical media
Dump to digital formats
Verify against known good copies
Catalogue metadata
Host with permission where possible
Document rights holders

Infoseek Database

The searchable database includes:

Publisher information
Release dates
Credits (where known)
Related titles
Format variations
Protection schemes

Legal Approach

WoS navigates rights carefully:

Contacts rights holders when possible
Removes content on request
Documents abandonware status
Hosts with implicit permission
Preservation justification

Cultural Impact

WoS has:

Preserved the Spectrum library
Enabled research and development
Maintained community knowledge
Supported modern development
Documented gaming history

The Spectrum archive