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SPECIFICTION
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DOSVisor vs Retro-DOS

DOSVisor

github.com

Retro-DOS

github.com

Side by side

FigureDOSVisorRetro-DOS
Price fromFree—
Free planYes—
Free trial——
Open source——
WindowsYesYes
Linux—Yes
iOS—Yes
Android—Yes
Plans published10
Spec score · MS-DOS Emulators7.8 (#12)7.0 (#22)
MakerThe repository is published under the GitHub account x86matthew.The GitHub repository is owned by CrownParkComputing.
PurposeDOSVisor is a DOS emulator that uses the Windows Hypervisor Platform API to run DOS programs in a virtualized 16-bit real-mode environment on modern Windows systems.Retro-DOS is a DOS games launcher and emulator for handhelds, built on DOSBox-X with an SDL3 and Dear ImGui frontend.

Plans

DOSVisor

  • FreeFree

DOSVisor pricing →

Retro-DOS

No plans published.

Retro-DOS pricing →

In their own words

DOSVisor

DOSVisor is a Windows project that runs some MS-DOS programs in a virtualized 16-bit real-mode environment using the Windows Hypervisor Platform API. It is presented as a demonstration of that API rather than a complete DOS emulator. Hardware virtualization handles the CPU, while software emulates the DOS layer. A custom Interrupt Vector Table uses CPUID instructions to trigger VM exits and intercept DOS interrupts. DOSVisor captures I/O requests but supports only a small set of common requests. Timing support includes the BIOS counter, RAM refresh toggle bit, system clock, RTC registers, clock interrupts, and DOS current-time calls; the 8253 PIT timer is not fully implemented. Keyboard handling monitors state, keeps a simple buffer, and passes input through interrupts. Basic terminal commands support simple text-based games and other basic programs. BIOS data areas and the Program Segment Prefix are allocated but mostly unpopulated. The free public repository contains bin and src directories, with no releases or packages listed.

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Retro-DOS

Retro-DOS has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.

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