Emails are about to be way more interesting. A developer has created a Doom port that can be played within a PDF file on a web browser. Aptly named “doom.pdf,” the file allows you to boot up the original game and control the character using your keyboard, following the usual WASD movement scheme, the space bar to shoot, and the numbers one to seven to circle between weapons.
The developer, who goes by ading.dev, shared some details about the process behind the hilarious project via Bluesky. It’s a bit on the technical side of things, but the port was possible thanks to PDFs supporting JavaScript. Using Emscripten, a compiler that compiles C and C++ source code to WebAssembly, they compiled Doom to asm.js, a subset of JavaScript. In short, it’s how ading.dev got Doom running in a PDF.
Both input and output are done by manipulating text input fields. If you aren’t tech-savvy, don’t worry, as you don’t need to manually input commands. In order to play the game, all you need is to open doom.pdf and follow the instructions. You can either click on the control layout on screen, or type inside a box to mimick the keyboard controls. If the game doesn’t work, make sure that you’re opening the PDF in Chromium-based browsers (such as Google Chrome.)
While doom.pdf is far from the best way to play Id Software’s classic shooter, it’s a marvel to see the port in action. It’s yet the latest example of developers and programming enthusiasts capitalizing on dozens of absurd iterations over the years, including potato-sourced electricity powering a calculator. If you’re wondering what the current state of Doom is as a franchise, Doom: The Dark Ages is set to arrive in 2025. In June 2024, developers at Id Software said that Doom 1 and Doom 2 were inspirations for the protagonist’s origins in the upcoming entry. If you’re curious to learn more about it, Doom: The Dark Ages has a spot in the upcoming Xbox Developer Direct later this month.