Nintendo GameCube Transformed to Operate PowerPC Windows NT and Play Doom

Earlier this month, an interesting development emerged with a new build of the long-forgotten Windows NT for PowerPC. Remarkably, it has been tailored to run on Nintendo’s GameCube and Wii consoles, banking on the PowerPC architecture that these systems share with the original Windows NT PowerPC versions. This build, dubbed Entii for WorkCubes, is available on GitHub. While it technically supports the Wii U, it doesn’t take full advantage of its enhanced features like the extra PowerPC cores, more robust RAM, or the advanced AMD GPU. It’s only compatible through the virtualized Wii capability. As for early development boards, they are either entirely unsupported or their compatibility remains untested.

For those passionate about homebrew projects and eager to witness Windows NT in action on a Nintendo GameCube, YouTuber @emukid_id has come to the rescue. His video showcases the installation process, some basic operations, and even a remarkably low-res game of The Ultimate Doom running at 320 x 200 pixels. Unfortunately, sound is absent in all these clips.

Despite the silence, the system’s performance resembles what one might expect from Windows 95. Users can enjoy configuring classic Windows NT features like 3D Maze wallpaper, using Notepad, and opening the Internet Explorer home page. Impressively, it supports a variety of peripherals designed for Nintendo consoles. For example, there’s a GameCube controller with an integrated full-sized keyboard, transforming the original controls into separate handles. Additionally, the Wii and Wii U’s USB ports facilitate expanded USB peripheral compatibility.

There’s a catch, though. Even if a standard Windows NT PC user from 2025 were to access it, they’d likely struggle to find web pages functioning on the modern Internet, given the limited compatibility with GameCube or Wii’s Ethernet adapters.

Still, this build offers a nostalgic glimpse into Windows NT and PowerPC from the era before Windows NT 3.5. Running Doom on a GameCube is a remarkable feat. Meanwhile, the Wii, which is essentially a turbocharged GameCube with an updated GPU, continues this legacy.

Now, envision integrating proper Wii U support for NT 3.5 or later Windows versions. The Wii U, boasting 1GB of DDR3 RAM and triple PowerPC CPU cores compared to the lone core of the Wii and GameCube, could really elevate performance. It’s fascinating to think that the GameCube operated with just 24MB of system RAM, yet had additional small dedicated RAM spaces for video and I/O functions.