86Box 5.0 Arrives with a Built-in VM Manager, Resurrecting Retro PC Hardware

The 86Box project has released version 5.0 of its x86-based computer emulator, enabling users to run legacy operating systems and applications ranging from the IBM PC 5150 to the IBM PS/2. The emulator supports an extensive array of processors—from the 8086 to the Intel Celeron Mendocino. Written in C, the code is distributed under the GPLv2 license.

86Box offers highly detailed emulation of hardware components and peripherals, including video adapters, sound and network cards, and hard disk controllers. It supports dozens of operating systems, from MS-DOS and Windows 3.11/95 to OS/2, BeOS, and NEXTSTEP.

The centerpiece of this release is the integrated virtual machine manager, which allows environments to be launched and configured directly within the 86Box interface, eliminating the need for external configurators. Virtual machines are stored in the directory ~/.local/share/86Box/Virtual Machines.

Significant improvements have been made to interface responsiveness and mouse fluidity, particularly on high-refresh-rate displays.

The rendering component has been rewritten for OpenGL 3.0, introducing shader effects, support for the glslp format, and parameter customization directly through the GUI.

Hardware emulation has been further expanded with the addition of dozens of PC models based on 8086, 286, 386, 486, and later processors. Among them are rare systems such as the Atari PC 3, Dell System 333s/L, IBM PS/55 Model 5550, and Compaq Presario 486.

The roster of supported video cards has also grown, now including the JVGA, Yamaha V6355D, ATI VGA Wonder 1024D XL Plus, Quantum3D Raven, and more.

In the audio subsystem, new additions include the Gravis UltraSound MAX ISA, Creative EMU8000 PnP, Sound Blaster ViBRA 16CL, Ensoniq AudioPCI (ES1370), and several other rare boards.

Support has also been added for early Panasonic/Matsushita CD-ROM drives that rely on proprietary interfaces, as well as for MDS/MDF disk image formats.

The interface now features a dark mode for Windows, keyboard and refresh-rate indicators, and a flexible hotkey system for managing emulation.