How to install DOSBox Pure in Steam RetroArch

DOSBox Pure is a streamlined fork of DOSBox, an emulator for old PC games running on DOS. This guide will help you install DOSBox Pure in the Steam version of RetroArch, with a few additional tips to run old PC games.

Installation of the core (new)

In your Steam library, right click on RetroArch, click on Properties.
In the new Window that popped up, click on the DLC tab, then find RetroArch - DOSBox Pure.
Tick the box of that line (Install column), and the next time that you launch RetroArch, the DOSBox Pure core will be available.

Installation of the core (old)

You can ignore this section now that you can download the DLC directly from Steam.

• 1) Download then unzip the following file somewhere on your computer, then move the file dosbox_pure_libretro.dll to the cores folder of your RetroArch installation.
  By default here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\RetroArch\cores
  You can also find your RetroArch installation folder by right-clicking on RetroArch in your list of Steam games, then Manage > Browse local files.
  http://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/windows/x86_64/latest/dosbox_pure_libretro.dll.zip
  
  
  
• 2) Download then unzip the following file somewhere on your computer, then move the file dosbox_pure_libretro.info to the info folder of your RetroArch installation.
  By default here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\RetroArch\info
  https://buildbot.libretro.com/assets/frontend/info.zip
  
  The next time that you launch RetroArch, the DOSBox Pure core should become available. If it disappears after an update, simply add these files again.

Running a game

• 1) Put your game files or CD Image (.iso or a combination of .bin and .cue) in a folder, archive that folder as a .zip, i.e. GAME.zip.
  Store that archive where you know you will find it from the RetroArch menu (it can be with your ROMs).
  
  Note: when making an archive for a game already setup for DOSBox, you do not need the original DOSBox files (such as Dosbox.exe), that would be redundant.
  
  For example, when downloading DOOM from Steam, the strict minimum are the files DOOM.exe and DOOM.WAD. Nothing else is absolutely necessary to run this particular game, but it will be different for other games.
  
  
  
• 2) In RetroArch, Load Content > browse to the directory containing your game > select GAME.zip > Load Archive > DOS (DOSBox-Pure)
  
  
• 3) Switch to Game FOCUS (default: Scroll Lock key), otherwise your keyboard will not work in-game, you will only trigger random RetroArch hotkeys.
  Pressing the Game Focus key another time allows to access RetroArch shortcuts again (such as Esc twice to leave a game, or F1 to access RetroArch's quick menu).
  If you want to change this key, in RetroArch: Settings > Input > Hotkeys > Game Focus (Toggle).
  
  
• 4) Some games will show you a DOS screen with different .EXE lines to choose from. You can first try GAME.EXE (or your local equivalent), but some games crash if you do not first select SETUP.EXE (or equivalent). If that happens, go back to the DOS screen (relaunch the game in RetroArch if needed) and launch SETUP.EXE. It should only be required the first time, and not be necessary afterwards.
  The sound card should be automatically selected, but if the sound test doesn't yield any sound, try various settings starting with the Sound Blaster 16.
  
  
• 5) Some games run too fast on modern CPUs. You can fiddle with the settings until you get a satisfactory result.
  For example, to get The Terminator: Future Shock (and not SkyNET) to work at normal speed, I had to change the following:
  Quick Menu > Core Options > System > CPU Type (restart required) to Pentium (slow) or you can try another one in this list depending on your game.
  Restart the core.
  
  Before the core was added to Steam as a DLC, this is what worked for me:
  Quick Menu > Options > System Options > Advanced > CPU Core > Set from Auto to Normal (interpreter)
  
  
  
• 6) To quit the game, switch back off Game Focus, then you can press Esc twice to leave RetroArch.

For more tips and advanced use, please check out the documentation[github.com].

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Thank you, it works like a charm, but some times, the sound doesn't work, maybe needs a little bit tweaking.