86Box

What 86Box is

86Box is a free emulator for x86-based IBM PCs and compatible systems, spanning machines from 1981 through systems built around the PCI bus. It models processors from the 8086 through the Pentium and supports customizable virtual machines, including configurations based on the IBM PC 5150 and IBM PS/2 line. Hardware options cover video and sound cards, network adapters, hard disk controllers, and SCSI adapters. Guest operating systems include MS-DOS, older Windows versions, OS/2, Linux distributions, BeOS, and NEXTSTEP. MIDI output can use Windows’ built-in MIDI support, FluidSynth, or emulated Roland synthesizers. 86Box runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and requires a BIOS. The project offers stable and experimental builds; experimental versions may be less stable or perform less well. Most emulation logic uses a single thread, so performance depends on both the host and guest configuration. Its built-in virtual machine manager is a preview, and the project recommends manager applications for working with multiple virtual machines.