Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ScummVM VS DOSEMU

Compare ScummVM VS DOSEMU and see what are their differences

ScummVM logo ScummVM

Game engine recreation of SCUMM made by LucasArts.

DOSEMU logo DOSEMU

DOSEMU stands for DOS Emulation, and allows you to run DOS and many DOS programs, including many...
  • ScummVM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-26
  • DOSEMU Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-01

ScummVM features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    ScummVM is compatible with multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and even mobile platforms. This allows users to play their favorite classic games on almost any device.
  • Supports Multiple Game Engines
    Originally designed for LucasArts' SCUMM games, ScummVM now supports a variety of game engines, making it possible to play a wide range of classic adventure games from different developers.
  • Enhanced Graphics
    ScummVM often enhances the graphics of older games, providing options like anti-aliasing and graphic scaling filters to improve visual quality on modern screens.
  • Active Community and Development
    ScummVM has an active community and continuous development, meaning new features and engine support are regularly added, and bugs are frequently fixed.
  • Portability
    ScummVM allows players to easily transfer saved games from one platform to another, enhancing the convenience and flexibility for users who switch devices.

Possible disadvantages of ScummVM

  • Limited to Supported Games
    ScummVM only supports specific games that are compatible with its supported engines, so it cannot run all classic games, particularly those using proprietary or unsupported engines.
  • Original Game Files Required
    Users must own the original game files to use with ScummVM, which can be a barrier for those who don't have access to their old games or if the games are no longer commercially available.
  • Complex Setup for Some Games
    While many games are easy to set up, others might require additional configuration or technical know-how, particularly when dealing with older or less common titles.
  • Sound Emulation Issues
    There can be occasional sound emulation problems, with some games experiencing issues with music or sound effects, though this is less common with continuous updates.
  • Legal and Licensing Concerns
    While ScummVM itself is legal and open source, users must ensure they legally own the games they play, and there can be licensing issues with obtaining or distributing the original game files.

DOSEMU features and specs

  • Compatibility
    DOSEMU provides a high level of compatibility with MS-DOS and other DOS environments, allowing users to run classic DOS applications and games on modern hardware and operating systems.
  • Performance
    Since DOSEMU runs natively on Linux, it tends to offer better performance and lower overhead than full-system emulators like QEMU or VirtualBox that virtualize hardware.
  • Integration with Linux
    DOSEMU integrates well with Linux systems, including support for Linux file systems and networking, enabling DOS applications to access files and resources seamlessly.
  • Open Source
    As open-source software, DOSEMU is free to use and modify, with a community of developers and users who contribute to its maintenance and feature development.

Possible disadvantages of DOSEMU

  • Limited Windows Support
    DOSEMU is primarily focused on DOS and does not support running Windows applications beyond version 3.11, making it unsuitable for users requiring compatibility with later Windows versions.
  • Complex Configuration
    Setting up DOSEMU to work smoothly with specific applications can be difficult, requiring a degree of technical knowledge about DOS and Linux systems.
  • Hardware Compatibility Issues
    Some modern hardware and peripherals may not be fully compatible with DOSEMU, leading to limitations in accessing certain features that DOS applications might require.
  • Dependency on Linux
    DOSEMU is specifically designed for Linux, so users of other operating systems will need to run a Linux environment to use it, which may not be convenient for everyone.

ScummVM videos

ScummVM Retrospective - Lessons learnt, from games preserved.

More videos:

  • Review - Retroid Pocket 2 - ScummVM PERFECT Emulation - 14 ADVENTURE GAMES - Tribute to the 90s
  • Review - ScummVM Test Raspberry pi 3 Retropie 3.8.1

DOSEMU videos

Linux - Dosemu playing dos games

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ScummVM and DOSEMU)
Gaming
41 41%
59% 59
Emulators
30 30%
70% 70
Gaming Software
100 100%
0% 0
Games
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare ScummVM and DOSEMU

ScummVM Reviews

12 Best Gaming Console Emulators for Mac in 2022
ScummVM is a program that allows you to run certain classic graphical point-and-click adventure games, provided you already have their data files. The clever part about this: ScummVM just replaces the executables shipped with the games, allowing you to play them on systems for which they were never designed!. Download
Source: thebingeful.com
10 Emulators To Turn Your Computer Into A Retro Console
If you’re a fan of the old style click-and-point adventures, you’re sure to enjoy ScummVM. This program was design to run games that uses the SCUMM scripting language, which was used in many click-and-point games made by LucasArts as well as other companies.

DOSEMU Reviews

We have no reviews of DOSEMU yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ScummVM seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ScummVM mentions (3)

  • Looking for help with “Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis” on Windows 98 SE
    Download ScummVM from https://scummvm.org and that should help you with a number of those issues, notably the garbled sound on a fast CPU. ScummVM replaces the original binaries/exe file for essentially all LucasArts games and fixes a lot of bugs too. You can run originally copies on dozens of different OSes. Source: over 2 years ago
  • macOS 8 Running in the Browser
    Getting Scummvm https://scummvm.org and select the path for the mounted image. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • Question about playing Manhunter: New York on a Windows 10 PC
    Archive.org has everything you need in terms of the game and manuals here. In some cases you can directly download the game files for playing with ScummVM which will allow you to play the game on many different types of computers/operating systems. Source: over 3 years ago

DOSEMU mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of DOSEMU yet. Tracking of DOSEMU recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ScummVM and DOSEMU, you can also consider the following products

DOSBox - DOSBox is a DOS-emulator that uses the SDL-library.

RetroArch - RetroArch is a frontend for emulators, game engines and media players.

vDosPlus - vDosPlus (formerly vDos-lfn) is a free general-purpose non-gaming DOS emulator running on Windows...

LaunchBox - LaunchBox is a portable, box-art-based games database and launcher for DOSBox, emulators, arcade cabinets, and PC Games. Download it free!

vDos - vDos lets you conveniently run DOS applications by emulating a (spiced up) DOS PC in a window.

OpenEmu - Console and Arcade video game emulator for macOS.