If you grew up with PC gaming in the 90s, you will have fond memories of some great ones DOS games like it Dangerous Dave, Prince of Persia, Xcom, Fallout, WWF: Wrestlemania, Doom, Wolfenstein, etc. We’re both surprised and saddened that none of these great games are porting to mobile devices, but DOS emulation allows you to configure them yourself. In this article, we will cover absolutely everything you will need to do, in detail, to set up how to play DOS games for free on an Android smartphone.
How to play DOS games on Android for free
DOS emulation is definitely not for the faint of heart. It takes time and effort to set up the emulator and customize the controls for each game. Another challenge is getting the game itself. You can buy most DOS games from GoG and download many for free from the web, but the process is tedious. The result, however, can be totally worth the effort as you can play great nostalgic games without microtransactions or ads.
Step 1: Download a DOS emulator
Put simply, an emulator is software that allows one system to behave like another. You have emulators that allow you to run Android apps on your PC and vice versa. Our recommended app for dos emulator is Magic Dos Box as it allows you to extensively customize the interface. The free version lets you add a single game to experiment with, but if you’re looking to emulate multiple games at a time, you’ll need to purchase the app.
- To install Magic dosbox on your Android device.
- On Welcome screen, press the green arrow button to start the application.
- Then, under Game layout and settings location, select Private.
- Choose your desired theme, if you are new to all this, consider opting for the standard theme (The second one).
- Finally, tap the button with a green check mark to finish setting up the app.
Step 2: Download some DOS games
Download the desired DOS game to your Android device. GOG.com is among the most trusted sites to buy / download various DOS games (I don’t recommend Steam as the Steam version of DOS games may be modified for Windows compatibility).
DOS games can vary drastically in size, so it’s hard to put your finger on them. Major titles will venture into the GB while some older classics may arrive in the MB. It’s a good idea to check the size of the game before downloading, to make sure there is enough space on your phone to fit it.
Step 3: extract and organize files
Put the game in internal storage (an SD card is not recommended) and inside a folder. If it’s in a compressed format, don’t forget to extract it beforehand. In this guide we will use the / storage / emulated / 0 / Download / DOS path, where DOS is the folder where all games will be stored. Using folders to organize files for emulators keeps things tidy. This is much better than having a bunch of large DOS game files scattered in random areas on mobile memory.
Step 4: Loading the games
- Open the Magic Dosbox app and tap the more mark in the center left of the screen.
- Now, in the Add dialog, tap New game.
- In the Configuration dialog box, give the game a title. Now scroll down until you reach the Software section.
- Touch Choose under the Main program section and go to the game .exe file. This .exe will be responsible for running the selected DOS game on your Android device.
- Below the main program is the Setting up section. Touch the Choose and select the game .bat file. However, if there is no such .bat file, you can select the same .exe file you chose above. Leave all other fields as they are.
After touching it TIC Tac box, there will be a Congratulations Message. At this point, your game should also be running in the background. Close the congratulations dialog and start playing your favorite DOS game on your Android device. If you want to further enhance your gaming experience by adding virtual keys, hotkeys, a game pad or a virtual joystick, read on.
Step 5: Get familiar with the controls and settings
The app has a number of important tools, which for some reason are somehow hidden. To view them, press the Back button and the General Settings menu. Includes adding virtual keys, special keys (function keys, Alt, Shift, Enter, space bar, etc.), Mouse, keyboard, etc.
To play DOS emulation games on Android devices, you might consider adding a joystick or virtual keys. For this, long press on the screen for a couple of seconds. The General Settings the dialog box will then be displayed. Closing it will open the file later Widget section. Just tap on the desired option and place it anywhere on the screen. Don’t forget to save your widgets by selecting each of them individually and tapping the save (floppy) icon.
Also, if you want to play any game in full screen mode, tap Adjust screen (General settings)> Size and location > Change Appearance mode to Full screen And Ladder to 100%. Also, change the orientation of your device to Landscape mode.
This is all you need to play any DOS game on your Android device. Although the installation may seem lengthy, follow all the instructions listed and it will be a breeze for you. If you still have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below.
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