Ask API. GET https://whichemulator.wtf/ask answers questions from the same data as this page, and it is the only place the setup steps are published. It takes the question as q and, optionally, this page's path as page, and returns JSON with answer, sources and follow_ups, or Markdown with Accept: text/markdown. No key needed.

curl -G 'https://whichemulator.wtf/ask' --data-urlencode 'q=How do I set up DOSBox Staging for the DOS PC?' --data-urlencode 'page=/dos/'

Questions it answers:

Guide: /skill.md. This page as Markdown: /dos.md

Best DOS PC emulator: DOSBox Staging, the Gold Cartridge pick

IBM PC compatibles running MS-DOS, Various (IBM PC standard), 1981.

Recommended: DOSBox Staging

whichemulator.wtf calls its recommendation for each system the Gold Cartridge pick. For the DOS PC, the Gold Cartridge pick is DOSBox Staging.

Built for playing DOS games, from PC booters through to Windows 3.1, with sensible defaults, CRT shaders that look right without tuning, and a game folder that mounts itself as C:. It is the maintained continuation of the original DOSBox, and old DOSBox configs still work. Windows 95 and 98 are deliberately out of scope; use DOSBox-X for those.

Runs on Windows · Mac · Linux. Open source. Download: https://www.dosbox-staging.org/

No BIOS or DOS needed: DOSBox has its own BIOS and DOS built in. You don't need a copy of MS-DOS, only the game files.

Alternatives

DOSBox-X (Windows · Mac · Linux, open source): Aims at accuracy and covering every pre-2000 PC setup rather than games first. The one to use for Windows 95/98/ME, PC-98 and DOS/V software, or anything Staging won't run. Far more settings, and a menu bar to reach them. Linux builds come through Flathub.
DOSBox (Windows · Mac · Linux, open source): The original. Superseded: the last release, 0.74-3, came out in 2019, and both Staging and DOSBox-X run everything it does with fewer rough edges.

RetroArch cores

DOSBox Pure: The one to use. Loads games straight from .zip files, has an on-screen start menu and works well with a gamepad. Development has moved to Codeberg.
DOSBox-core: Closer to standalone DOSBox, with MT-32 support if you supply the ROMs.
DOSBox-SVN: Plain port of the old DOSBox code. Only worth it if Pure misbehaves.

DOSBox Pure is the easiest way to play DOS games on Android or a handheld.

Hardware

First model: IBM 5150, 8088 at 4.77 MHz
Graphics: CGA (1981), EGA (1984), VGA (1987)
VGA: 320×200, 256 of 262,144 colours
Sound: PC speaker, AdLib, Sound Blaster
Media: Floppy, hard disk, CD-ROM

Notes

Staging or DOSBox-X

Both are forks of the original DOSBox and both are open source. They want different things. Staging is about games: it picks good defaults, keeps the setup simple and leaves Windows 95 and 98 to others on purpose. DOSBox-X tries to emulate every kind of PC up to the late 1990s, so it has far more settings and runs Windows 9x, PC-98 software and odd applications that Staging won’t touch.

For a DOS game, start with Staging. If it won’t run, or the game needs Windows 95, try DOSBox-X. Plain DOSBox still works, but nothing has been released since 2019.

Roland MT-32 music

Many late-1980s Sierra and LucasArts games sound best with a Roland MT-32. Staging and DOSBox-X both emulate one, but the MT-32 ROMs are Roland’s and aren’t included. If you want that music, dump the ROMs from your own module; without them, choose Sound Blaster or General MIDI instead.

Setting up DOSBox Staging

Setup steps for DOSBox Staging are published only by the Ask API: How do I set up DOSBox Staging for the DOS PC?

Support the developers

Reference: WEM-DOS-MI3P