It’s the eternal, half-joking benchmark of computational capability in the tech world: “But can it run DOOM?” For decades, enthusiasts and engineers have used id Software’s seminal 1993 first-person shooter as the ultimate stress test, porting it to everything from pregnancy tests and ATMs to the display on a refrigerator door.
But the modding community has just raised the bar to a truly surreal level. In a feat that blurs the lines between dedication and absurdity, DOOM has now been successfully ported to run on two of the most unlikely devices imaginable: a digital vaporizer and a scientific calculator.
This isn't just a party trick; it's a fascinating deep dive into the hidden potential of the chips that power our everyday gadgets.
The Calculator: A Nostalgic Platform for Demonic Invasion
The journey begins in a place familiar to every student: the graphing calculator. For years, devices like the TI-84 Plus have been a secret playground for game developers, their monochrome screens and physical keypads a canvas for simple games. But running a complex, texture-mapped game like DOOM is a different beast entirely.
A Reddit user recently showcased their incredible success, demonstrating a fully functional port of the game on a calculator. The video, shared on the r/pcmasterrace subreddit, shows the iconic halls of Phobos Base rendered in stark, pixelated glory on the calculator's LCD screen. Control is managed through the device's keypad, turning the "2nd" and "Alpha" keys into a makeshift arsenal against the forces of hell.
As demonstrated in this Reddit post, the achievement is a testament to optimization. The modder leveraged the calculator's Zilog Z80 processor—a chip architecture dating back to the 1970s—and squeezed every last cycle of performance out of it to render the game's 3D environments. It’s a love letter to the classic era of PC gaming, running on a device designed for trigonometry.
The Vape Mod: Inhaling the Essence of a Classic
If running DOOM on a calculator is impressive, then getting it to work on a vape is nothing short of revolutionary. This particular mod targets a specific device: the Vandy Vape Pulse BF 60W squonk mod. At first glance, it’s a simple vaping device with a small OLED screen for adjusting wattage. Under the hood, however, it runs on an ESP32 microcontroller—a capable chip often used in IoT devices and DIY electronics.
The genius behind this port is a developer known as atc1441, who created a custom firmware that completely repurposes the vape mod. The project, hosted on GitHub, replaces the device's standard operating system with a version of DOOM. The control scheme is as inventive as the port itself: firing your weapon is, appropriately, done by pressing the fire button used for vaping. Movement is handled with the up/down buttons, turning the entire device into a unique, handheld game console.
The project even includes screen-sharing functionality, allowing the gameplay to be mirrored on a computer. As detailed in a report by Videocardz, this port proves that the processing power hidden in modern consumer electronics is often far greater than its intended use requires.
Why This Matters: More Than Just a Gimmick
On the surface, these projects are hilarious novelties, perfect for capturing internet fame. But dig a little deeper, and they represent something much more significant for the tech community.
- The Power of Accessible Hardware: Both the calculator and the vape mod use common, well-documented microcontrollers. The ESP32, in particular, is a favorite in the maker community for its versatility, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi capabilities, and low cost. These projects highlight how accessible powerful computing has become, empowering hobbyists to repurpose mass-produced gadgets in creative ways.
- The Ultimate Benchmark: The "Can it run DOOM?" meme endures because the game's code is a masterpiece of efficient, portable C programming. Its engine has been picked apart and understood by developers for 30 years, making it the perfect testbed for any new system. Successfully porting it proves a deep understanding of both the hardware and the software.
- Inspiring a New Generation: Seeing complex software running on unexpected hardware inspires curiosity. It demystifies technology and encourages people to ask, "What else can this thing do?" It’s a gateway to learning about programming, hardware hacking, and reverse engineering.
The Endless Possibility of "Why Not?"
The teams and individuals behind these ports didn't embark on these projects because they were practical. They did it to answer the most compelling question in technology: "Why not?"
The relentless drive to push boundaries, to find computing power where none was thought to exist, and to bring joy through sheer technical ingenuity is the heart of the modding community. While you probably won’t be fragging demons on your calculator during math class or vaping your way to victory over the Cyberdemon anytime soon, these achievements are a brilliant reminder that potential is everywhere—you just have to know where to look.
And as the bar for the bizarre is raised once again, one can only wonder what’s next. Can it run Crysis? On a toaster, perhaps? The modding community is undoubtedly already on the case.
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