In context: Doom is everywhere. It seems like at least a few times a year someone figures out another way to run the grandfather of modern first-person shooters. If it's capable of processing data in anyway, people figure out a way to get it to run Doom.

Phoronix notes that the latest Doom port comes via a "Payload" in your BIOS --- that is, if you run Coreboot (formerly known as LinuxBIOS). Coreboot is an open-source BIOS compatible with several motherboards, including Acer Aspire VN7-572G, Razer Blade Stealth KabyLake (H2U), and several Google Chromebook mobos.

Coreboot 4.17 adds support for more motherboards, including:

  • Clevo L140MU / L141MU / L142MU
  • Dell Precision T1650
  • Google Craask
  • Google Gelarshie
  • Google Kuldax
  • Google Mithrax
  • Google Osiris
  • HP Z220 CMT Workstation
  • Star Labs LabTop Mk III (i7-8550u)
  • Star Labs LabTop Mk IV (i3-10110U and i7-10710U)
  • Star Labs Lite Mk III (N5000)
  • Star Labs Lite Mk IV (N5030)

One of Coreboot's selling points is a feature called Payloads. These are extensions that users can use to customize the BIOS with additional functionality. Last week, Coreboot 4.17 was launched with several fixes, a new bootloader, AMD PSB support, and a Payload called "CoreDoom," a full-on Doom port that runs from the system flash ROM, based on the DoomGeneric code available on GitHub.

It's not the first game to come in a Coreboot Payload. Space Invaders (Grub Invaders) and Tetris (Tint) have been around for a while. Other Payloads include various tools and utilities. It's even possible to squeeze a lite Linux distro into a Payload.

Why Doom is so portable.

There are a few caveats to playing CoreDoom. For one, it requires a PS2 keyboard. However, devs said they would add USB support soon. Phoronix tested the game and found video format support is limited, although it didn't mention specifics. It has no game-save feature since it runs from the system boot flash ROM. Likewise, when exiting the game, the system will hang.

We often joke about Bethesda porting Skyrim to everything, including Alexa. However, as ported games go, Doom remains unmatched. We've seen people figure out how to run Doom on almost every console and PC past and present and unusual devices like a McDonald's cash register, an Ikea smart lamp, and even a Porsche 911.

Those interested in trying CoreDoom can find it on the Coreboot Git repository. Be sure Coreboot supports your board using its compatibility chart.