DOSBox is a free and open-source emulator which runs software for MS-DOS compatible disk operating systems—primarily video games.

[10] The development of DOSBox began around the launch of Windows 2000—a Windows NT system[11]—when its creators,[12] Dutch programmers Peter Veenstra and Sjoerd van der Berg, discovered that the operating system had dropped much of its support for DOS software.

[12] While the DOSBox project hopes that one day the emulator will run all programs ever made for the PC, the goal is not yet reached,[14] and as of the latest version the primary focus has been on DOS gaming.

[15][16] There are versions available on the DOSBox website that support long filenames, at the cost of possible incompatibility with some older programs.

[22] DOSBox is a full-system emulator that provides BIOS interrupts[23] and contains its own internal DOS-like shell.

[25] In addition to its internal shell, it also supports running image files of games and software originally intended to start without any operating system.

[32] DOSBox uses the Simple DirectMedia Layer external library to handle graphics, audio, and input devices.

[34] Graphical emulation includes text mode, Hercules, CGA, EGA, VGA, VESA, S3 Trio 64,[35] and Tandy.

[12][41] Rock, Paper, Shotgun positively remarked on the project's continual reception of updates, its influence on PC gaming, and some front ends designed to facilitate using it.

[42] Freelance writer Michael Reed lauded the quality of scaled graphics and the project's overall focus on compatibility and accurate emulation, but criticized the lack of both save states and user-friendly control over the emulator during runtime, even with the front ends available at the time of his review.

[62] id Software has used DOSBox to re-release vintage games such as Wolfenstein 3D and Commander Keen on Valve's Steam.

[65] 2K Games producer Jason Bergman stated the company used DOSBox for Steam rereleases of certain installments of the XCOM series.