Our medium has a wealthy historical past that stretches far again into the times of DOS gaming, however the additional again in time you go, the extra it is a ache to get these video games working on fashionable programs. Even if I’ve the fitting media, what the hell am I presupposed to do with a floppy disk picture in 2025? The long-running reply has been to check out DOSBox and its fashionable “forks,” or modified variations, however it may be a little bit of a ache to get began if you happen to’re new to emulation.
Enter DOSBox Pure, as soon as a powerful core for the open-source emulation frontend RetroArch—if that appears like gibberish, it simply means you go outdoors sufficient—now a standalone app that may simply load ZIP information, mounted CD and floppy disk pictures, DOS exes, and so forth. It’s a pay-what-you-want obtain on developer Schelling‘s itch.io web page, and after giving it a fast look myself, the app is slick and simple proper out of the field.
There’s step-by-step use instructions on that page as well if you have any trouble getting your games running—you’ll have to bring your own files, with storefronts like GOG being one potential source. From there it’s got plenty of modern settings to tweak and soup up your DOS games of choice: rebindable keys, gamepad and joystick support, save states, a CRT video filter, and even a touchpad mode.
The itch.io page notes there’s automatic controller button assignments if the program successfully detects your game and gamepad, but everything can be customized to your liking—something Steam Deck users might find tantalizing
I’ve fiddled around with DOSBox a bit trying to play an old version of Prince of Persia and walked away with a few gripes about its ease of use compared to console emulators like Dolphin and DuckStation, so I’m excited to give DOSBox Pure a spin. Emulators like this one offer a robust, if off the beaten path, way to play games that have no business fading from memory.