Internet Archive Uploads 2,500 Of Your Favorite MS-DOS Games To Play Online

Gamers who have been enjoying PC gaming for decades will probably have fond memories of playing classic MS-DOS games back in the day. Some of those games have been made playable on Archive.org. MS-DOS games have been added as playable in a browser since 2015 thanks to the Internet Archive, and it has announced that 2,500 additional games have been added.

The Internet Archive says that it has added games here and there in that time, but this is by far the most extensive collection of games that it has ever added at once. The new collection ranges from small independent releases to big-name games from major studios that launched decades ago. There are some caveats to keep in mind with the game, according to organization.

It says that sometimes the emulated games are slower than they should be, particularly on old machines. It also warns that not all games are enjoyable to play. That was the risk you took when buying a new game in the pre-Internet days of gaming. At least with these archived games, you don't have to beg mom or dad for a new game only to find out it's no fun at all.

The Internet Archive notes that the thousands of new MS-DOS games come from a project called eXoDOS, which has expanded its mission over the years to try and find all DOS games. Getting this many games ready for release was a major undertaking. Some of the games were written to work on very specific setups making saving the games and getting them playable challenging.

So far, eXoDOS has found and made consistently playable about 7,000 old games. The organization also notes that any issues encountered in the games it offers can't be addressed by eXoDOS. The games were added by Internet Software Curator, Jason Scott, not eXoDOS. The full collection of new games can be browsed here.