Nintendo GameCube Converted to Support PowerPC Windows NT and Play Doom

Earlier this month, an unexpected development brought a fresh take on the long-discontinued Windows NT for PowerPC. Remarkably, it’s been revamped to operate on the Nintendo GameCube and Wii consoles, primarily because of their shared PowerPC architecture, which aligns with the original Windows NT’s PowerPC capabilities. This updated build, creatively named Entii for WorkCubes, has made its home on GitHub. While it technically supports the Wii U as well, it doesn’t capitalize on its advanced features like the extra PowerPC cores, enhanced RAM, or its robust AMD GPU. Instead, it functions through the Wii’s virtualization mode. Some early development boards are either incompatible or, at best, untested in theory.

For those passionate about homebrew projects, there’s good news! YouTuber @emukid_id has captured the Windows NT installation journey on a Nintendo GameCube. The footage highlights the setup process, basic functionality, and even showcases The Ultimate Doom in a charmingly low resolution of 320 x 200. However, don’t expect any soundtracks from these clips, as they are released without audio.

Despite the silent operation, Windows 95 seems to perform reasonably well. Users can set up iconic Windows NT features such as the 3D Maze wallpaper, utilize Notepad, and even load the simple Internet Explorer homepage. The platform also intriguingly accommodates a variety of PC-like peripherals for Nintendo consoles, including a GameCube controller morphing into a unique keyboard-controller hybrid. This grant users some versatile input methods. Moreover, the USB ports on the Wii and Wii U allow for additional peripheral compatibility.

Nevertheless, there are trade-offs to consider. Even with a traditional Windows NT PC in 2025, surfing the modern web might be a lost cause. Though GameCube and Wii’s Ethernet adapters remain functional, online usability remains severely constrained.

Even with these limitations, the system acts as a fascinating time capsule of Windows NT and PowerPC, harking back to pre-Windows NT 3.5 era. The ability to play Doom on a GameCube is quite an achievement. With the Wii being essentially a souped-up GameCube boasting a new GPU and overclocked CPU, it shines even more.

Full-fledged support for NT 3.5 or newer on the Wii U would certainly be a game-changer, unlocking its substantial 1GB of DDR3 RAM and triple PowerPC CPU cores compared to the single-core of earlier models. Meanwhile, the GameCube made do with a modest 24MB of system RAM while also allocating small dedicated memory for video and I/O functions.

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