They say you can run DOOM on anything these days. To prove it, playing DOOM in the BIOS is now possible.
Forget fridges and microwaves, DOOM has been added to the Coreboot BIOS, with the coreDOOM payload compatible with a number of new motherboards (including Dell Precision T1650 and new Google Chromebook boards).
CoreDOOM is a port of the 1993 Doom game running atop Coreboot. This is a port from the Doomgeneric, a project making the Doom game easily portable with only needing to implement a handful of functions around frame presentation, keyboard events, ticks, and other basic functionality but lacking support for sound, etc. The coreDOOM payload renders to the Coreboot linear frame-buffer and loads the WAD game data files from the CBFS in system ROM.
As fun as it might sound (once you consider the effort required to go in and install coreBIOS), playing coreDOOM has some limits.
Only PS/2 keyboards are compatible at this stage, save games are not supported, video support is limited, and exiting the game will freeze the entire system, forcing a manual reset.
Still: it’s DOOM, in the BIOS!
Anything can run DOOM
As you may know, the list of devices that can run DOOM is incredible, from digital camera displays to ATMs, office phones, graphical calculators, the MacBook touchbar, and even a Porsche 911. Throw in all the usual mobile, desktop, and console systems that DOOM has been ported to, and you have a game that you can literally take and play anywhere.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
