What you need to know
- TechTuber MetraByte recently managed to get Windows 95 to run on the new Nintendo 3DS.
- The modder encountered several setbacks during the process, including slow boot times, which can be attributed to the DOSBox's reliance on the system memory and x86 emulation on the new Nintendo 3DS.
- While the experiment proves its possible to run Windows 95 on the Nintendo 3DS, it struggles in several departments like running simple apps such as Paint, prompting him to abort his earlier mission of making music with the device.
Microsoft's Windows operating system has a broad userbase but users seemingly prefer older versions like Windows 95 or Windows 10 because of their seamless user experience coupled with decent design elements. As you may know, Windows 10 is slated to hit its end of support in less than one year on October 14, 2025. The move has brewed a cocktail of emotions among users who are seemingly hell-bent on sticking to the OS despite its imminent death.
Recently, Windows 11's market share has been on an upward trajectory, indicating users are upgrading to Microsoft's latest OS for continued support and security updates. It remains unseen whether every user will upgrade to Windows 11 or switch to Linux or macOS.
Recently, a TechTuber MetraByte boldly attempted to get Windows 95 to run on the Nintendo 3DS with the aim of trying to make music. For context, the tech enthusiast used the newer version of the Nintendo 3DS which features additional RAM (256MB of RAM) and processing power (via Tom's Hardware).
Perhaps more interestingly, MetraByte leveraged the DOS tool (designed to help users run classic MS-DOS games) to boot Windows 95 on the Nintendo 3DS. And while he managed to get the operating system to run on the classic handheld, it was no walk in the park. This is especially true when he attempted to launch DOSBox and navigating through the command-line interface with a touchscreen and stylus.
The tech enthusiast attempted to install Windows 95 in the Nintendo 3DS several times, with each attempt taking up to 30 minutes. He finally managed to install the operating system in the classic handheld, it took over two hours. The process was characterized by the all-too-common Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), including multiple driver errors and a blue-and-gray interface.
MetraByte also indicated that he encountered issues when trying to run applications like the 3D Maze screensaver and Paint on the device. The operating system took what might have seemed like eons to load each color palette on the Paint app. The performance setback can be attributed to the DOSBox's reliance on the system memory and x86 emulation on the new Nintendo 3DS.
While MetraByte's experiment nostalgically proves Windows 95 can run on the Nintendo 3DS, the setup is far from ideal, which prompted him to give up on his plan to make music using the device while running Windows 95. Mostly because of poor performance coupled with Blue Screen of Death errors.
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