What most people actually want when they search for is a dedicated operating system that boots directly into an arcade menu. Batocera.linux is that solution.

Use your emulator frontend to play games you have purchased via official re-releases (e.g., Arcade Archives on Steam or Nintendo Switch) or focus on open-source arcade clones.

If you specifically need an OS/2-based system for free, you might look into:

Designed for hobbyists, home users, and retro-computing enthusiasts. It includes a discounted license price and a standard support subscription period.

If you are looking for an for testing purposes, you can search for "open-source OS/2 clone" to find projects like Arca-Noae's ArcaOS which provide open-source components, though you will miss the proprietary OS/2 Kernel and GUI.

This is the most common legitimate meaning of "free" for ArcaOS. If you are a licensed user of ArcaOS 5.1 with an active "Support & Maintenance" subscription, all minor updates, such as from version 5.1.0 to 5.1.1 or 5.1.2, are entirely free of charge. To take advantage of this:

Using unlicensed copies of ArcaOS in a corporate or personal environment violates international copyright laws and software licensing agreements. Legitimate Evaluation and Acquisition Alternatives

Your computer's security is worth more than a broken link to a 20-year-old bootleg CD.

: If you own ArcaOS 5.0, you can upgrade to 5.1 at a discounted price via your Customer Portal Official Downloads

The Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator (MAME) is the engine that powers almost all arcade emulation. If you are a purist who just wants to run individual arcade games without a fancy interface, download the official MAME release.

But before you click a risky download button, let’s clear up the air about how you can actually get your hands on ArcaOS 5.1 legally and safely. 1. ArcaOS is Commercial Software

The legacy of IBM’s OS/2 Warp is alive and well, largely thanks to Arca Noae and their modern incarnation, . As a 32-bit operating system designed for contemporary hardware, ArcaOS represents the cutting edge for enthusiasts, legacy systems, and specialized industrial applications.