I’ve got several classic Call of Duty and Medal of Honor games from Windows 95, 98, Vista, and 7 eras that I want to play again on my current powerful Windows 10/11 or even upcoming 12 setup with an i7 or i9. I could build an older PC just for them, but I really don’t want to clutter my desk with another box, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers. I used to run some of my kids’ older games with BlueStacks on Windows 7, but I haven’t tried anything similar on Windows 10/11/12. Also, I’m not keen on using emulators if I can avoid it. So, what are some practical ways you guys handle running these older Windows games nowadays?
5 Answers
For Windows 95 and 98 games, DOSBox-X is worth trying. It’s a modern fork of DOSBox and can run many classic DOS and early Windows games pretty well. It’s not quite a full virtual machine but gives a good balance between emulation and compatibility. If your games rely on old Windows layers, you can sometimes get them working here without much hassle.
If you’re looking for an easy route, check out GOG.com. They often sell classic games updated to run on modern Windows versions out of the box, no hassle. I’ve got a dedicated Windows 98 machine for really old stuff, but on my Linux box with Lutris and GOG games, I actually get smoother performance on some titles than on Windows!
One solid approach is to create a virtual machine using software like VirtualBox or QEMU. This lets you install an old Windows version like 98 or XP inside your current OS. It passes through your actual hardware so sound, graphics, and peripherals work well. It’s different from emulators that simulate hardware from scratch. Virtual machines can be a bit of a setup but keep everything contained without needing a separate physical PC.
If you’re on Linux, Wine combined with PlayOnLinux is a great toolset. PlayOnLinux offers customized setups for lots of older games, especially ones distributed by GOG. It can often run Windows games seamlessly without needing a full VM or emulator. Even on Windows, there are native tools like WineVDM (also known as OTVDM) that can run 16-bit Windows apps without the need for a VM or emulator, handy for titles like Castle of the Winds or SimTower.
Also, for compatibility tips and fixes, definitely bookmark PC Gaming Wiki. They have community-driven patches, source ports, and detailed guides on how to get older games running on new systems. Sometimes you can just tweak a config file or add a compatibility layer to get that old shooter working perfectly on your modern rig.
