Running Windows 95 on a PlayStation 2 Sort of Works — But This Modded Console Couldn’t Handle Doom

Alright, so picture this: Jace from this quirky YouTube spot, MetraByte, decides it’s a great idea to yank Windows 95 and Doom onto a Sony PlayStation 2. Like, of all platforms. Why? Who knows. But here we are, watching a video where Jace battles old-school tech demons with this half-baked plan.

Windows 95, you see, is like the grandpa of operating systems, born in 1995. And the PS2, launched in 2000, sits like a teenager trying to fit into grandpa’s shoes. Should’ve been a clear sweep, right? Nope. The whole thing’s like asking a cat to type your thesis, especially because Sony’s PS2 has a whole different brain (MIPS, anyone?) than what Windows 95 vibes with (x86 code).

So what next? Oh yeah, Jace chisels down 10+ hours of techno wrestling into a neat video. It starts with a souped-up PS2—keyboards attached, USB dongles galore, a bulky hard drive clamped on. And isn’t there something both brave and slightly bonkers about trying DOSBox on the PS2? Jace thought so, too, except it flopped spectacularly after like 47 tries. They switched to Bochs, which promises accuracy but moves like molasses. If that’s what you’re looking for.

Anyway—ah, lost my train of thought—eventually, Jace sees Windows 95’s face on the PS2 screen. Cue mild triumph. But it wasn’t a smooth ride. There were errors, alerts, and missing whatevers—every step seemed to argue back. Still, Jace soldiered on like an archaeologist digging through a digital ruin, and after what felt like an eternity, reached the desktop. Paint launches! Not that it mattered much, given the absence of a mouse.

Final note—trying to run Doom? Nah, didn’t happen. But that’s the charm, right? A mad but oddly fun journey. Who’d have thought watching somebody else’s tech torment would be so enjoyable? Keep an eye on MetraByte for more of their pixelated escapades.