Nintendo 3DS Runs Windows 95 Using DOSBox, But Booting Takes Hours

A tech-savvy enthusiast decided to push the boundaries of a homebrew Nintendo 3DS port of DOSBox by seeing if it could handle Windows 95. This ambitious project was undertaken using the upgraded “New” 3DS model, which comes with enhanced RAM and processing capabilities. With determination, TechTuber MetraByte managed to load the DOSBox port and then install Windows 95 on top of it. However, it wasn’t smooth sailing all the way; the system took quite a while to start up, so long that MetraByte decided to leave it running overnight for the initial boot. In contrast, the OS installation itself surprisingly took just about five minutes. Initially, proper support for mouse input via touch didn’t kick in right away and only started working after Windows 95 was up and running on the device.

For those curious, you can check out MetraByte’s experiment in his video titled “Installing Windows 95 on a 3ds and Trying to Make Music with it” on YouTube.

Now, onto the bright side: Windows 95 does indeed run on the New Nintendo 3DS. It’s not too shocking given Windows 95 was designed to function with a mere 4MB of RAM, albeit in x86 environments, non-emulated settings. Comparatively, the 3DS offers 256MB of RAM, which, while modest by today’s norms, is more than adequate for software that predates the gigabyte era. However, the hurdle comes from having to manage x86 emulation on the 3DS’s ARM-based hardware, which significantly slows down performance.

Even though you can technically get Windows 95 up and running on a New Nintendo 3DS, it’s not exactly a practical endeavor. The process is lengthy and cumbersome, and once inside the operating system, usability is severely limited. When MetraByte tried playing MIDI audio or using his music software, the 3DS couldn’t handle it, even resulting in a bluescreen at one point. Nonetheless, the OS did seem semi-functional otherwise, suggesting some basic lightweight applications might still operate.

In reality, if you’re using DOSBox on a New Nintendo 3DS, installing Windows is probably not the best idea. Instead, it’s more sensible to dive into older DOS games, which stand a better chance of running smoothly given the device’s capabilities without the added burden of emulating Windows 95.