Highlights

  • Doom's legacy as a pioneering first-person shooter has made it a massive point of discussion in the gaming community.
  • Fans have gone to great lengths to rig and tinker with unusual devices, such as digital cameras and microwaves, to make Doom run on them.
  • The sheer imagination and engineering skills on display when it comes to getting Doom to run on improbable platforms is impressive and keeps the game relevant today.

One of the most popular and legendary first-person shooters, Doom stands as an important title in the gaming landscape. This game — along with Wolfenstein 3Dpaved the way for an entirely new genre of games that have dominated both PC and console gaming ever since. The legacy of Doom is so immense that the original game is still a massive point of discussion to this day.

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The reboot of the series might be taking the franchise in a new direction, but the original Doom is still quite relevant in its own right. In fact, it's become an inside joke in the gaming community to try and make Doom run on the most improbable platforms imaginable. Here are ten of the most notable — and strangest — platforms that can run Doom.

Updated on January 17, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: The meme of Doom running on any device possible continues to go strong even now, with hardcore fans of the game making it a point to try and get this legendary FPS running on systems that have no business playing this game. The sheer number of out-there machines that have been rigged and tinkered with to play Doom is pretty ridiculous, and fans will love the imagination on display here as people use their skills to keep this FPS relevant to this day.

18 Camera

A Digital Camera With The Ability To Play Doom

Playing Doom on a camera

Digital cameras are popular for people into professional photography, with the quality of some high-end models being downright amazing and well worth the price. The last thing that anyone would think to do with such an expensive device is play Doom on it, or that's what most people assume.

However, there are many posts and videos online of people rigging their cameras to play Doom, which is such a weird and endearing thing to do. Fiddling around with small buttons to control Doomguy would be pretty challenging, but someone out there is up to the task.

17 Microwave

Cook Food And Demons At The Same Time

Playing Doom on a microwave

A microwave has become downright necessary in a house, with so many people relying on leftovers for their meals. If people find it boring to stand around as their food heats up, they can follow in the footsteps of other people and turn their microwave into a Doom-playing machine.

All jokes aside, standing in front of a microwave for too long isn't recommended by anyone. If players are adamant about using this unusual device to play Doom, then it's advised to stick to short play sessions, or at least to avoid running the microwave at the same time.

16 Nintendo DS

Play Doom On A Legendary Handheld Device

Nintendo DS running Doom

The Nintendo DS was one of the company's best handhelds, and the games on this console continue to be talked about in high regard to this day. While it's a shame that Doom was never ported to this handheld, there are ways people have got the game working on this console.

Playing Doom on a DS sounds like a fever dream, even if this system is meant for gaming (unlike many others that have fueled the meme). Still, it's a great work of engineering that people have got this game working on the DS on their own.

15 Minecraft

A Mod That Lets People Play Doom Within Minecraft

A PC playing Doom in Minecraft

The idea of playing Doom in another video game has somehow become a pretty popular idea. This can be seen in the popular Minecraft as well, where a player created a mod that allowed them to simulate an old PC in the game.

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Its functionality is genuinely impressive, with the accuracy of this mod being pretty authentic indeed. This mod can even let players try out Doom in Minecraft, which is simply hilarious.

14 Treadmill

Play Doom While Working Out

A treadmill running Doom

Fitness is something that everyone should keep track of to lead a healthy and long life. However, that's not to say that running on a treadmill has to be completely devoid of any gaming potential.

This Reddit user took the bold initiative of making Doom run on a standard run-of-the-mill treadmill. The fact that this experiment was a success proves that Doom really will run on anything.

13 Ticket Validator

One Of The Oddest Systems That Players Have Rigged To Run Doom

A ticket validator running Doom

The mere idea of a Ticket Validator running Doom is a hilarious and off-the-beat notion. So, it was only a matter of time before netizens would turn this pipe dream into reality.

If a person has to manage said Ticket Validator, then this is a pretty novel way to pass the time. Of course, the controls might not be the best, which is a death sentence in a run-and-gun title like Doom.

12 Vape

A Fancy, Digital Vape That's Programmed To Run Doom On A Small Screen

Doom on a vape

Vaping has become all the rage right now. The detrimental effects of this form of smoking should be kept in mind, although it's an alternative that's still widely considered to be better than smoking tobacco.

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Gamers who want their vape to provide some sort of entertainment on the side will be happy to know that some advanced models can run Doom! It's pretty cool that some people bothered to make a functional copy of Doom within a vape.

11 iPod Mini

A Legendary Music-Playing Device That People Tinkered With To Make It Run Doom

Doom on an iPod Mini

Before the days of the Apple Revolution, the iPod Mini and Nano were two of the most popular Apple products around. However, the company realized that physical music players would become a thing of the past and moved into the cellphone market, which turned out to be the best move for this company.

Despite this, the iPod Mini still holds a soft spot in the hearts of many music fans. The fact that people recently got Doom to work on this system shows just how much love still exists for this music player.

10 Karaoke Machine

Sing Your Heart Out While Ripping Demons To Pieces

TJ Taijin Media Ziller B80 karaoke machine

Using karaoke machines is a great way for people to vent out some of their frustrations. But these machines can be used in a much less conventional way.

If players ever find themselves getting the urge to shoot up some demons from hell while singing karaoke, then this TJ Taijin Media Ziller B80 karaoke machine should be right up their alley. Though it can run the game, getting certain inputs to work might be difficult.

9 Pregnancy Test

The Small Screen That Confirms Or Rejects A Pregnancy Can Also Run Doom

Doom running on a one-color pregnancy test.

It goes without saying that playing a computer game on a pregnancy test seems like an outright impossibility. But it seems all the more likely thanks to one programmer.

A Twitter user by the name of foone posted a video on the platform where they were legitimately playing Doom on a pregnancy test. Of course, the display wasn't that great, but the fact that such a simple device could run a classic like Doom is quite the sight to behold.

8 Thermostat

Warm Up The House With The Forces Of Hell

Doom Thermostat

Thermostats have become quite advanced in modern times. These devices come fully equipped with powerful processors and screens, so it was only a matter of time before someone would run Doom on this system.

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Well, that's exactly what turned out to be the case. A programmer managed to run a fully-function port of Doom on a Honeywell Prestige thermostat, which is certainly a great way to enjoy a pleasant temperature while shooting down hellspawn in the process.

7 MacBook Pro Touch Bar

A Ridiculous Way To Play This Legendary FPS

Doom on a MacBook Pro touch bar

It doesn't take an expert to figure out that the MacBook Pro is able to run Doom. However, a Facebook engineer by the name of Adam Bell took this one step further by allowing Doom to be played on the new Macbook Pro's touch bar.

The image is so minuscule that it seems like it's downright impossible to play on. However, Bell was obviously aware of this limitation and ran a version of Doom that portrayed all its HUD elements on the touch bar instead, which is extremely impressive.

6 Siemens S65/Sony Ericsson K800i

Play Doom On A Classic Phone That Was A Huge Hit Back In The Day

The Sony Ericsson K800i and the Siemens S65 running Doom

Given the fact that both the Siemens S65 and the Sony Ericsson K800i are cellphones mired in the past, it's only fitting to group these two devices. The fact that both these ancient devices can run Doom is an achievement in itself.

Of course, the fact that both mobiles are extremely small means that playing Doom can pose a substantial challenge. However, it's the novelty of these phones even being capable of running Doom that makes them such a notable mention on this list.

5 Apple Watch

Play Doom On A Wearable Device That Can Be Carried Everywhere

Doom on the Apple Watch

The Apple Watch is one of the most powerful pieces of technology around. The fact that everything from calls to fitness can be tracked with a wristwatch is no mean feat.

So, it was only a given that someone would take this unique piece of technology and make Doom run on it. This ingeniosity resulted from a 10-hour hackathon at Facebook’s Tel Aviv office.

4 Chainsaw

A High-Tech Chainsaw With A Digital Screen That Was Rigged To Run Doom

Doom on a chainsaw

The chainsaw is one of the most iconic weapons in Doom's history. So, it would be poetic to play a version of Doom that runs on a chainsaw of its own!

Of course, there are some technicalities here to keep in mind. This chainsaw is an Echo Junior Chainsaw toy that had its inner materials replaced with a portable power supply, a Raspberry Pi Zero, a 320×240 2.2-inch LCD screen, and a wireless receiver for a controller.

3 NES Classic

Run Doom On A Re-release Of A Beloved Console

Doom on the NES Classic

The NES Classic has surprisingly become one of the most coveted consoles around. Its limited release meant that players were going haywire in an attempt to obtain this unique console, with some people going overboard in regards to tinkering with the console.

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This has led to various modding and hacking tools, some of which allow Doom to be played on the console. If that wasn't great enough as is, modders have tinkered around even more, allowing for Brutal Doom — a popular conversion mod of the original — to be playable on the NES classic as well.

2 Sonic Mania

A Sonic Mania Mod That Adds Doom To The Game

Doom in Sonic Mania

Despite its age, there are aspects of Doom that still impress fans, such as a version of the game running in Sonic Mania. This mod was created during the Sonic Hacking Contest 2020, and it's quite an achievement indeed.

Of course, without any in-game mouse support, it can be quite a challenge to play Doom in the game. However, the fact that such a mod exists is quite notable in its own right.

1 The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind

A Long-Winded Process Involving OpenMW That Lets Players Play Doom In Morrowind's Engine

Screenshot of Morrowind showing a Silt Strider in Seyda Neen

One of the most legendary games of all time, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind set the stage for a franchise that would dominate the gaming industry for years to come. The game itself is now a little dated, although still good enough to run Doom.

Of course, there are a few loopholes required to enable this. For starters, players need to be using the engine reimplementation OpenMW on Linux for their copy of Morrowind. The mod only works for this version and implements a Dwemer computer south of Seyda Neen that can run pretty much any DOS game including Doom.

doom 2016
Doom (1993)

Platform(s)
PS4 , Xbox One , Switch , PC , Stadia , PS3 , Xbox 360 , Xbox (Original) , PS1 , Sega Saturn , Super Nintendo Entertainment System , Android , iOS
Released
December 10, 1993
Developer(s)
id Software
Genre(s)
First-Person Shooter