New Raspberry Pi OS Looks Like Windows XP

(Image credit: Pi Lab)

While you can't quite have the full Windows XP experience on a Raspberry Pi, this Linux Raspbian XP Professional operating system (OS) from Pi Lab definitely gets close. It's designed to run on the Raspberry Pi 4, the only model powerful enough to handle it.

Since this is Raspbian with an XP overlay, you won't be able to run XP applications as-is. It is possible to run Windows software from that era, however. You just need the right emulator. If you want to run a native Windows application, you can use the built-in Windows 98 virtual machine.

The OS is preloaded with several emulation platforms, like BOX86, that can run old PC games. You can also take advantage of other emulators, such as DOSBox, Mupen64 and MAME (here's how to run emulators on Raspberry Pi 4). By connecting a USB controller, the whole system doubles as a retro gaming console.

This is still a work in progress, so expect a few updates in the future. In the meantime, check out the current build and see what it's all about. You can visit the official Pi Lab channel on YouTube for installation details and new editions.

Ash Hill
Contributing Writer

Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.