The Nintendo 3DS XL can run Windows 95

By Dan Isacsson Published January 2, 2016

Hackers are into a lot of things; their tastes encompass all sizes and flavors, and some simply enjoy playing around with possibilities. Some disrupt governmental security networks, while others seek to steal Christmas. But a few friendly ones go for something different. Shutterbug 2000, of the gaming community Gbatemp, has shown Windows 95 running on the Nintendo 3DS. Windows 95 was Microsoft’s first operating system (OS) to feature a user desktop area with icons for software, creating a more graphic and intuitive interface.

This is the second hacking story we’ve published this week where hardware runs software never meant for it. Sony saw its PlayStation 4 get hacked by Fail0verflow, and had Linux running a modded copy of Pokemon using the Game Boy Advance as a controller. It seems the hackers are making good use of their holidays.

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Exact details on what the emulator can do are unclear. But the intial obstacle has been cleared, and the forums are piling up with different ideas and dreams. What games are possible to play on Windows 95, you ask? How about classics like Starcraft or the original Diablo? We won’t delve any further into how one might get the games from their discs to their 3DS storage — that’s for a different story.

But as lovely as it would be to see some sort of dual-screen version compatible with the 3DS pen, we might have to wait a bit. The hack was recently created and, according to its original creator, still suffers from slow speeds. No word on a potential use for the 3DS pen in the ancient version of Paint. If these hacking magicians would like to get Windows 2000 up and working on the 3DS, we might finally be inspired to re-introduce ourselves to the world of portable consoles. The random bluescreens we remember would make for ample commuter entertainment.

PS: Windows 95 turned 20 this year.

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Being a gamer since the age of three, Dan took an interest in mobile gaming back in 2009. Since then he's been digging ever…

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