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86Box

86Box/86Box

A low-level x86 emulator that runs vintage operating systems and software for IBM PC and compatible machines from 1981 onward.

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What is it?

86Box emulates x86-based PC hardware so that older operating systems and software designed for IBM PC systems and compatibles can run on modern computers. It focuses on low-level accuracy, covering processors from the 8086 era up to the Mendocino-era Celeron, and includes many period systems, from the original IBM PC 5150 to IBM PS/2 machines based on the Micro Channel Architecture.

Virtual machines are configured through a hypervisor-style interface. The emulator supports a wide range of peripherals, including video adapters, sound cards, network adapters, hard disk controllers and SCSI adapters, and provides MIDI output through Windows MIDI, FluidSynth or emulated Roland synthesizers. Guests can include MS-DOS, older Windows versions, OS/2, many Linux distributions, BeOS and NEXTSTEP.

The project is written in C and runs on Windows, Linux and macOS. Third-party machine managers exist for users who want to organize many virtual machines, and the command line option `-P` can point to a separate machine folder.

Key features

  • 01Low-level x86 emulation from 8086-class processors up to Mendocino-era Celeron, with a focus on accuracy
  • 02Many period systems, including the IBM PC 5150 and Micro Channel-based PS/2 machines
  • 03Broad peripheral support for video, sound, network, hard disk and SCSI adapters
  • 04MIDI output via Windows MIDI, FluidSynth or emulated Roland synthesizers
  • 05Hypervisor-style interface with customizable virtual machine settings

Use cases

  • Running MS-DOS games and applications from the 1980s and 1990s on a modern PC
  • Testing legacy software or drivers on period-accurate hardware configurations
  • Exploring early Windows, OS/2 or Linux releases in a preserved environment
  • Studying how historical PC hardware and BIOS behaved at a low level

Quick start

  1. 1

    Read the official documentation for an overview of features and the user interface

  2. 2

    Follow the build guide to build 86Box from source

Things to know

  • Licensed under GPL-2.0, a copyleft license that requires derivative works to remain open source.
  • Most emulation runs in a single thread, so emulated speed depends on the host CPU's per-core performance.

Topics

#emulation#x86#retro-computing#dos#ibm-pc#virtual-machine#emulator#ibm#pc-emulator

FAQ

What is 86Box?
A low-level x86 emulator that runs vintage operating systems and software for IBM PC and compatible machines from 1981 onward. 86Box emulates x86-based PC hardware so that older operating systems and software designed for IBM PC systems and compatibles can run on modern computers. It focuses on low-level accuracy, covering processors from the 8086 era up to the Mendocino-era Celeron, and includes many period systems, from the original IBM PC 5150 to IBM PS/2 machines based on the Micro Channel Architecture.
Is 86Box free to use? What license does it have?
86Box is open source under the GPL-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is 86Box still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to 86Box was on Nov 7, 2026.
What can I use 86Box for?
Running MS-DOS games and applications from the 1980s and 1990s on a modern PC Testing legacy software or drivers on period-accurate hardware configurations Exploring early Windows, OS/2 or Linux releases in a preserved environment Studying how historical PC hardware and BIOS behaved at a low level
How do I install 86Box?
Read the official documentation for an overview of features and the user interface Follow the build guide to build 86Box from source
Where can I get 86Box?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/86Box/86Box

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