Nintendo 3DS Emulates Windows 95 on DOSBox, with Slow Booting Time

A tech enthusiast recently dialed up an interesting experiment by running Windows 95 on a homebrewed Nintendo 3DS through DOSBox. This adventurous venture was carried out on the upgraded “New” 3DS model, which boasts extra RAM and processing power. YouTuber MetraByte not only managed to get DOSBox running but also successfully installed Windows 95 on this handheld device. However, patience was tested, with initial boot times stretching long enough to justify leaving the device on overnight. By comparison, setting up the OS installer was a brisk five-minute process. Oddly, getting the touch-based mouse input to cooperate took longer, only kicking in once the operating system was fully up and running.

And here’s a rather unexpected twist: Windows 95 does indeed operate on the New Nintendo 3DS. Given that this classic OS was designed for systems with as little as 4MB of RAM, it stands to reason—though typically for much older x86 setups rather than emulating on ARM-powered devices. While the New 3DS’s 256MB of RAM might seem paltry by today’s standards, it’s a decent figure considering the era Windows 95 hails from. The real challenge here lies in DOSBox’s need to emulate x86 architecture on ARM hardware, causing quite the bottleneck.

So, should you try installing Windows 95 on your New 3DS? Probably not. The endeavor is lengthy and largely fruitless, given that the OS barely operates, let alone allows for productivity. MetraByte’s attempts to play even simple MIDI audio files resulted in failure. In fact, trying to run his preferred music studio application led to a system crash. Despite these setbacks, the OS did manage to minimally function, hinting that perhaps some lightweight applications might operate without issue.

In practical terms, when utilizing DOSBox on the New Nintendo 3DS, bypassing the allure of Windows in favor of classic DOS games is advised. These old-school titles are more likely to work smoothly, taking advantage of the handheld’s surprising power without the cumbersome weight of emulating an entire Windows environment.