See MS-DOS run natively on modern hardware, showcasing incredible x86 backward compatibility

In short: The YouTuber demonstrated the ability to run the venerable MS-DOS operating system and classic games directly on modern PC hardware without any emulation, a throwback that showcases the incredible backward compatibility that x86 processors have maintained for over four decades.

A video posted by YouTuber Inkbox walks viewers through the process of booting up an old, pre-Windows MS-DOS 8.0 and installing games like the original 1993 Doom on an Intel-based system. All 16-bit code is executed natively, without the need for software emulation.

In the video, Inkbox points out that this unlikely compatibility stems from design decisions Intel made in the late 1970s. When the company introduced its groundbreaking 8086 processor, chip architects made sure it could still run software developed for previous Intel processors. Little did they know that this backward compatibility would become a defining feature of the x86 architecture for decades to come.

The real turning point, Inkbox claims, came in 1981, when IBM chose a variant called the 8088 to power its pioneering IBM PC. For the next decade, the vast majority of personal computers were IBM-compatible, built around the emerging x86 processors like the 80286 and 80386. To ensure that older software would continue to run, each new chip was compatible with the original 16-bit real mode used by the 8086.

Fast forward to the modern day, and even the latest 64-bit x86 processors from Intel and AMD still boot into that ancient 16-bit operating system before switching to modern operating modes.

Inkbox used an Icewhale ZimaBlade Mini PC for the demonstration. He started by installing a 16GB RAM module and an Intel Celeron N3450 processor. However, despite a range of modern PC ports, it still lacked a floppy drive, which was an initial hurdle.

However, Inkbox bypassed this by using the Rufus tool to create a bootable DOS disk from a regular USB flash drive. After configuring the BIOS to boot in legacy mode and selecting the USB drive, it was able to successfully boot into the bare metal MS-DOS 8.0 environment with relative ease.

This allowed him to install and play games like Doom and Pac-Man.

The whole thing is pretty funny, but it also highlights the incredible inertia behind x86 computing. Intel tried to move to new processor architectures like Itanium but never quite made it. Even now, the chipmaker’s attempts to streamline future x86 chips by removing some of the older instructions are an ongoing process.

To run MS-DOS and old programs yourself, you will need a computer that can boot into Legacy BIOS mode. Using Rufus, you can follow the instructions in the video to create a bootable DOS USB drive and run any classic games or applications.