The journey of discovering unconventional platforms for the legendary game Doom has reached a groundbreaking milestone. This time, Doom has been successfully “ported” to run directly on… PDF files.
Doom’s Legacy: Running on Everything
Since its debut in 1993, Doom has become a global gaming icon, not just for its exceptional gameplay but also for its uncanny adaptability to unconventional devices. In tech communities, the saying “Doom can run on anything” isn’t just a joke; it’s a challenge that developers around the world enthusiastically accept.
Over the years, the game has been ported to bizarre platforms such as the MacBook Pro’s touch bar, treadmills, ultrasound machines, and even pregnancy tests. And now, to the amazement of tech enthusiasts, Doom has made its way to the PDF format—originally designed for displaying text and documents, not for gaming.
DoomPDF: Turning a Document into a Gaming Platform
The project, aptly named DoomPDF, was created by a young developer known as Ading2210. This innovation has opened a new chapter in Doom’s adventurous journey. Thanks to this project, any device capable of opening a PDF file can now double as a gaming machine for this iconic shooter.
Ading2210 leveraged the JavaScript support within PDF files to bring Doom to life in this format. What’s even more impressive is that you don’t need complex software like Adobe Acrobat to play; a standard web browser like Chrome is sufficient to run the game.
The process of embedding Doom into a PDF wasn’t straightforward. Ading2210 used a specialized tool to translate the original game’s source code into a format that browsers could understand. Within DoomPDF, players can control their character by typing or pressing keys directly in the PDF file.
Playing Doom in a PDF: Limited but Fascinating
DoomPDF doesn’t replicate the full graphics and speed of the original game. Instead, the visuals are presented in monochrome, with a few shades of gray to help players recognize the game’s environment. Each frame takes about 80 milliseconds to load, making the gameplay significantly slower. However, the key takeaway is that the game is fully functional.
“I figured out how to render monochrome images with six levels of brightness. Although it dramatically reduces the game’s speed, it’s enough to preserve the experience and ensure Doom can be played within a PDF file,” Ading2210 explained.
Doom: 30 Years as a Creative Icon
Developed by id Software for the DOS operating system, Doom isn’t just a classic first-person shooter—it’s a symbol of creativity in technology. Over three decades, this game has inspired countless developers and gamers worldwide to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
DoomPDF is yet another testament to Doom’s enduring legacy. From being a source of entertainment, the game has evolved into a cultural phenomenon, associated with bold experiments and innovative approaches no one could have anticipated.
Have you tried playing Doom in a PDF file yet? If not, this is undoubtedly an experience you can’t miss, especially if you’re a fan of video games and groundbreaking tech creativity.