Eventually, we’re going to run out of devices to throw the old Windows 95 operating system onto. In just 2016 alone, we’ve seen Windows 95 running on a Nintendo 3DS, in a web browser, and even on an Apple Watch and now some genius has worked out how to get it running on an Xbox One.
While this does certainly fall into the “Why would you even do this?” category, it actually appears to have not been that difficult due to the video game console’s new ability to run Universal Windows Platform apps (even though those apps will be coming in a few months) and the new Xbox One Dev Mode which just launched recently and can be used by developers to design apps for the system.
Named, vcfan, the brains behind this operation ported an open source DOS emulator called, DOSBox, to the Xbox One as a Universal Windows Platform app. He then ran a pre-installed Windows 95 from within DOSBox and from within that was even able to get a game of Duke Nukem 3D running. You can see a (badly filmed) video of the experiment above.
While it’s unlikely that Microsoft would officially allow for other operating systems to run on the Xbox One, this does bode well for the potential given to developers to get creative with what they bring to the console. Official Universal Windows Platform apps are expected to arrive with an update called the Anniversary Update and, while not too many apps have been revealed, some companies such as Fitbit have expressed interest in bringing their services to the Xbox One in some capacity.
Do you enjoy seeing Windows fans install old operating systems onto as many devices as possible? Where would you like to see Windows 95 pop up next? Let us know in the comments below.
