Nintendo 3DS Emulates Windows 95 with DOSBox, But Faces Lengthy Boot Time

A tech enthusiast recently took on an intriguing challenge by attempting to run Windows 95 on a homebrew port of DOSBox on a Nintendo 3DS. This wasn’t just any 3DS, though; it was the more powerful “New” 3DS model, which packs extra RAM and processing capabilities. With some tech magic, TechTuber MetraByte managed to load up the DOSBox port on the device, followed by the Windows 95 operating system. However, this endeavor was peppered with hurdles, particularly when it came to load times. In fact, during his first try, he left the handheld device running overnight just to complete the initial boot of Windows 95 — a stark contrast to the mere five minutes the OS installer required. Another hiccup lay in getting proper mouse support through DOSBox, which didn’t kick in until after the OS was up and running.

The exciting part is that Windows 95 can indeed operate on the New Nintendo 3DS. Considering Windows 95 was designed to run on machines with as little as 4MB of RAM — albeit x86 architecture — the New 3DS’s 256MB seems generous. However, the issue isn’t just about memory. The complexity arises with the ARM-based New 3DS having to emulate x86 architecture, which is quite a task and significantly hampers performance.

Given these factors, while it’s technically feasible to have Windows 95 on the New Nintendo 3DS, practicality screams otherwise. The entire process is not only laborious, but once you somehow get through, the resulting experience is far from smooth. During MetraByte’s trials, even basic MIDI audio playback was a no-go, and attempts to run his preferred music studio software ended in disastrous blue screens. Windows 95 did manage to operate to some extent, but don’t expect to do much with it, except perhaps run the most lightweight applications.

In all honesty, if you’re diving into DOSBox on a New Nintendo 3DS, you’d be better off enjoying classic DOS games that are more suited to the device’s capabilities. Given its surprising power for its time, the New 3DS handles these older titles much more gracefully without the heavy luggage of Windows 95 weighing it down.