PC / DOS

IBM / Microsoft · 1981 – 1990s

The IBM PC and its DOS-based clones became the world's dominant computing platform through the 1980s. Despite lacking dedicated game hardware, clever developers used the PC speaker, CGA/EGA graphics, and eventually Sound Blaster audio to produce defining games. Text adventures, early RPGs, flight simulators, and strategy games flourished on DOS.

The PC's open architecture — any manufacturer could clone it — created rapid commoditisation and broad adoption. Games like King's Quest proved graphical adventure games could work on home computers; Ultima and Wizardry established the CRPG genre. The introduction of VGA graphics in 1987 and Sound Blaster audio in 1989 transformed the PC into a serious gaming platform that would eventually eclipse dedicated consoles.