Nintendo 3DS Running Windows 95 on DOSBox: A Slow Booting Experience

A tech enthusiast got curious and decided to put the homebrew Nintendo 3DS version of DOSBox through an intriguing challenge: running Windows 95. Armed with the enhanced “New” 3DS, which boasts extra RAM and processing capabilities, TechTuber MetraByte managed to install DOSBox and subsequently the Windows 95 operating system on it. It wasn’t a swift process, though. The load times were so lengthy that he left the handheld device on overnight during the initial Windows 95 boot-up. Interestingly, the actual OS installation only took about five minutes. However, proper touch-based mouse input through DOSBox didn’t start functioning until well after the OS was fully launched on the 3DS.

Now, here’s the silver lining: Windows 95 indeed operates on the New Nintendo 3DS. Theoretically, this isn’t too surprising, considering Windows 95 was originally designed to run on systems with a meager 4MB of RAM. The New Nintendo 3DS, with its 256MB of RAM, may seem underpowered by modern standards, but it was quite robust compared to older hardware setups. That said, DOSBox doesn’t just have to navigate system memory; it also has to emulate x86 on the New Nintendo 3DS’ Arm-based platform, creating significant performance issues.

While it’s possible to get Windows 95 up and running on a New Nintendo 3DS, it begs the question—why would you? The installation process is long and arduous, and once you’re in, the OS is mostly unusable. Even basic MIDI playback was beyond reach during MetraByte’s trials. His attempt to run preferred music software resulted in the 3DS crashing with a classic blue screen. Despite these drawbacks, the OS did show signs of functioning to a degree, meaning perhaps the simplest of applications might still work.

In reality, if you’re planning to use DOSBox on the New Nintendo 3DS, steer clear of installing Windows. It’s better suited for older DOS games that are likely to perform adequately under these conditions, especially given the New 3DS’s impressive capabilities for its time. By not stacking Windows 95 on top of everything, you’ll avoid taxing the system unnecessarily.