Craziest Platforms Gamers Have Used To Play Doom

"DOOM." Few titles are more synonymous with gaming than "DOOM." The game is the quintessential first-person shooter (FPS), and is crucial to the gaming landscape. Not only did "DOOM" change the course of gaming, but it also let many people hone their programming skills.

The original "DOOM" is one of the most moddable (and modded) games on the planet. Coders have added their own weapons and levels to "DOOM," and some have used it to create their own games. Perhaps most impressive of all, some inventive individuals have managed to make "DOOM" work on devices the game was never meant for. "Tetris" might have more official ports than any other video game (according to Guinness World Records), but "DOOM" has received more unofficial ports than any other video game — and not just to consoles such as the Nintendo Gamecube or PlayStation 2; modders also played the game on refrigerators, cars, and phones.

Those are some of the more "normal" port jobs. Just about anything with a computer chip has the potential to support "DOOM," and modders have used this knowledge to port the game onto more unusual platforms, including 3D printers, other games like "Minecraft," and barcode scanners.

Here are 10 of the weirdest platforms that have been modded to run "DOOM."

Screens are a crucial element for any video game. Larger screens or monitors with higher resolutions are generally better for "DOOM" since they provide more detail, but you can play it on a screen barely bigger than your thumbnail, assuming you don't mind resolutions so small you need a magnifying glass.

The pregnancy test capable of playing "DOOM," created by programmer Foone Turing, is arguably the most famous example of a device not designed to run "DOOM" but running it anyway. Originally, "foone" posted a video of "DOOM" running on a pregnancy test with a screen, but that was only a clip of a prerecorded video playing on the device. He followed that up with a video of him actually playing "DOOM" on a pregnancy test screen — sort of.

To be fair, Turing gutted the pregnancy test's innards,  hard coded to only tell users if they were pregnant, and replaced them with a tiny OLED screen and a chipset that could run "DOOM." The result is a black-and-white screen so tiny that it can't even output 160p resolution, which makes Tiger Electronics LCD handhelds look positively cutting edge. One could argue that the "DOOM" pregnancy test isn't technically playing "Doom," but if you want to blow someone's mind, show them Turing's work and leave that last part out.

You know what they say: Nobody wants to know how sausage is made.

Every computer peripheral requires a computer chip to work, and where there's a computer chip, there's processing power. The original "DOOM" released so long ago that it requires next to no computational power by today's standards. You can literally run the game with components you can fit in your pocket, and not just because "DOOM" is available on the Nintendo Switch.

In 2021, Reddit user "next-hack," who also runs the website next-hack.com, managed to get "DOOM" running on a cheap, low-power Bluetooth LE USB dongle. However, unlike most people who make posts about playing "DOOM" on unorthodox platforms, "next-hack" provided step-by-step instructions so any reader could make one themselves.

To accomplish this feat, "next-hack" started with a $13 dongle running on an nRF52840 MCU chip. They soldered wires into the dongle's I/O, power, and debug signals, then connected the wires to a QSPI flash, 3.3-volt regulator, and a screen. Next-hack also had to jury-rig audio and gamepad connections, but after all that hard work, they made the world's first bluetooth dongle that lets owners slay demons on Mars.

If you want an in-depth tutorial on making your own, check out next-hack.com or their YouTube video. If you're tired of using Raspberry Pis for projects, consider making a Doom Dongle instead.

When most people play a game on a computer, they usually want everything rendered on a large screen. Some gamers have multi-screen setups, which is handy when they stream their gameplay on Twitch while also keeping an eye on audience chat. However, some computers have screens in more unusual locations that have unique uses — and can play "DOOM."

In 2016, Apple introduced the Touch Bar to the MacBook Pro. This component was a touchscreen that ran the width of the keyboard and served as a secondary input. For instance, when using a chat app, owners could employ the Touch Bar as a quick select screen for their favorite emojis. While Apple representatives recommended that MacBook Pro owners not utilize the Touch Bar as a secondary display, modders ignored that advice and turned the component into a screen that could display everything from virtual piano keys to, well, "DOOM."

In November 2016, iOS hacker Adam Bell posted a video of himself using the MacBook Pro Touch Bar to play the original "DOOM." Due to the Touch Bar's thin design, the graphics were stretched to the max, but it was otherwise recognizable and, more importantly, playable. This feat might not be surprising to Apple aficionados since the Touch Bar ran on the Apple T1 processor and a modified version of the Apple Watch's watchOS system, and "DOOM" has been running on those since 2015. Unfortunately, Apple discontinued the Touch Bar in 2018, so it's only a matter of time before this platform for "DOOM" eventually dies out.

Porting/programming games into TI-83 and TI-84 calculators is an old school pastime. Students have added titles such as "Super Mario World" and "Super Smash Bros." to their ever-reliable digital adding machines. One person got "DOOM" running on a calculator, but it takes a special kind of ingenuity to run "DOOM" on a calculator without any batteries.

Content creator Equalo's journey to run "DOOM" on a calculator is a tale of failure, compromise, and breathing hazards. Initially, he wanted to run the game on a Raspberry Pi Zero and power it using nothing but potatoes. When phosphoric acid in potatoes eats zinc, it interacts with the potato's potassium to produce electricity. After some experimentation, Equalo calculated that he would need 770 pieces of Russet potatoes. Not only are they the tastiest spuds, they also put out more voltage than other potatoes.

Unfortunately, Equalo's plans didn't pan out. After a few days of connecting everything, the potatoes just couldn't power on the Raspberry Pi. Equalo was ready to give up when he had the epiphany to try a TI-84 Plus Graphic Calculator since it requires less power than the Raspberry Pi Zero. He installed "DOOM" on the calculator and hooked it up to his potatoes, and it actually worked. The room smelled like spoiled fish, and the air might have been toxic to breathe due to all the rotting potatoes, but Equalo proved you can play "DOOM" on a calculator powered by nothing but taters.

For the most part, people unofficially port "DOOM" onto unusual devices just for the sake of it. The question "Can it run DOOM?" is less an actual question and more of a challenge. "Can it run 'DOOM?' It will after I'm done with it." Sometimes, someone ports "DOOM" to an unusual platform because they're in the middle of repairs and decide to have a little fun.

Ultrasound machines are indispensable devices since they let doctors diagnose a variety of medical problems with noninvasive sound waves, similar to how dolphins and bats track prey. Hospitals will pay good money for ultrasound machine repairs, and it just so happens that some ultrasound technicians are "DOOM" fans. Take Reddit user and professional medical equipment repairperson iThink_There4iMac, for example. Several years ago, they worked on an old GE ultrasound that no longer turned on. To fix the device, iThink_There4iMac burned an XP Professional CD and wiped the ultrasound's drive. They then installed "DOOM" on it for fun, and it worked. Unfortunately, iThink_There4iMac wasn't able to get "Halo" running on the ultrasound machine.

Another professional repair guy, YouTuber Buy it Fix it, did something similar with a Bardscan II, which is a portable ultrasound device designed to scan bladders. He didn't actually need to fix it, just repurpose it to see if his sheep were pregnant. At the end of his "repair" video, Buy it Fix it swapped out SD cards and got "DOOM" running on the Bardscan II, albeit without sound. That's still a feat in and of itself, however.

You've probably heard of (or played) "DOOM" on the Nintendo Switch. You can buy the entire "DOOM" library for the console, even though the more recent titles, "DOOM" 2016 reboot and its sequel "DOOM Eternal," suffer graphically due to Switch's underpowered hardware, but who's ever heard of "DOOM" on a network switch?

A network switch is a hub that connects multiple devices to a single network by using packet switching – think a wireless router but with ethernet cables instead of radio signals. Unlike an ethernet hub, network switches can manage data flow across its network and distinguish between different data packet recipients. We have the switch's chipset to thank for these features. And as we've previously established, if it has a chip, it can play "DOOM."

Somewhat recently, Reddit user aspie_electrician got "DOOM" to run on an Axiomtek na-320fl network switch with an Intel Axiom D510 CPU. According to the user, the device boiled down to "an x86 machine with a custom motherboard, and a sata hard drive and a custom Linux." They installed Windows 7 on the network switch, hooked it up to a VGA cable, and then just ran "DOOM" — well, the "Brutal DOOM" mod (which is the preferred way to play), but you get the idea.

Streaming is the next big leap in entertainment. People can use specialized apps connected to dedicated servers to beam movies and shows directly to their devices, and they can also stream Xbox, PlayStation 5, and Steam games. However, an internet browser is a form of streaming app, too. 

In 2021, coder Georgi Gerganov created the Twitter account Tweet2Doom, which introduced a new way to play "DOOM." As its name suggests, the account is a bot that runs "DOOM" for the user. Unlike the base version of "DOOM," the Twitter bot runs on strings of command inputs. Each command translates to a game input (e.g., "<" to strafe left, "f" to shoot), and the program then responds with a 10-second clip of the commands in action. The result plays out like a turn-based shooter that forces users to quickly master computer coding, which, believe it or not, sounds more daunting than it actually is.xtagstartz/p>

Gamifying exercise routines is a great way to stay in shape. The Nintendo Switch's "Ring Fit Adventure" comes to mind because it's literally a game that helps you exercise, but plenty of ellipticals and treadmills have built-in games that encourage users to push themselves. Usually, you can only play what these devices offer, but enterprising individuals have figured out how to add their own titles, including "DOOM."

According to the Reddit user Kreeator3, they once got a Star Trac treadmill at a local gym to run "DOOM." Kreeator3 started by power cycling the treadmill in order to boot it from a USB port. From there, they used a USB stick with FreeDOS and "DOOM" on it to get the game running on the treadmill. However, that was as far as Kreeator3 got because they were kicked out of the gym soon after.

Had Kreeator3 been allowed to continue their experiment, they might have figured out how to map the treadmill's buttons to game controls and make the exercise device's belt spin as players ran in-game. However, Kreeator3 stated that they were able to get as far as they did because the Star Trac ran on an Intel Core solo CPU with a custom version of Linux. Hypothetically, anyone could pick up from where Kreeator3 left off with their own treadmill so long as it has the same components, or better yet, is another Star Trac treadmill of the same model. Who wouldn't like to turn killing demons into an exercise regimen?

As previously stated, people have figured out how to put "DOOM" on fridges, but these are far from the only appliances that can run the game. Modders have ported "DOOM" to espresso machines and washer/dryers, but they have also added the game to other appliances, including ones that serve as the backbone of line kitchens.

A kitchen controller is a catch-all term for a small-form computer designed for restaurants. Depending on the model, a kitchen controller can serve as an automated oil management system or, for the purposes of this article, tell line cooks and wait staff what they should make and where the finished food should go, respectively. Several years ago, YouTuber This Does Not Compute got their hands on some Oasys IPad kitchen controllers (no relation to an Apple iPad) and caved to audiences who asked the same question: Can it run "DOOM?"

This Does Not Compute posted a video of them tearing down the Oasys IPad and explaining how/why it can run "DOOM." Apparently, the device is a System-on-Chip (SOC) CPU with DDR3 RAM, a video chip connected via PCIE, and an SD card slot and USB slot. This Does Not Compute got the kitchen controller to run the game by inserting a USB flash drive with MSDOS and "DOOM" installers on it into the USB port. They weren't able to get "DOOM" to recognize the buttons on the Oasys IPad as viable inputs and had to use a keyboard instead, but that's the preferred control method anyway.

Holograms are a staple of science fiction worlds. Depending on the IP, holograms are usually used for either simulations or real-time video calls. These aren't technically holograms as we know them but an entirely different burgeoning technology known as "volumetric displays," and yes, we can now play "DOOM" on them.

Recently, a Youtuber named Ancient posted videos of a modified version of "DOOM" running on a volumetric display. Some of these videos have a dome off, others have the dome on, but the result is the same: They look like someone playing "DOOM" on the hologram communication devices from "Star Wars." The graphical fidelity is bad since the 3D image is the product of numerous colored moving dots, and the volumetric display is so loud it almost drowns out the in-game audio, but the effect is staggering nonetheless.

You might wonder how such a feat is possible. Ancient stated they used a "homebrew volumetric display" that they also called a "swept volume 3D display." This seeming jumble of alphabet soup is actually a term for a specific volumetric display that divides a 2D image into "slices" and projects them onto LEDs on a surface that rotates at imperceptibly fast speeds. These lights create the illusion of a 3D image because the human brain tricks itself into thinking that the device's lights persist in areas where they no longer emanate. This visual trick is known as the "persistence of vision" and is only possible due to the faulty way our eyes work.