A dedicated group of content creators has found a way to make the original Doom playable directly through a YouTube video, adding another entry to the long-running “Can it run Doom?” tradition. The original Doom by id Software has become famous for being ported to every sort of unconventional device fans could think of over the past three decades.
Now a gaming community staple, “Can it run Doom?” has been one of the longest-running gags since 1993, as crafty developers keep finding ways to run id Software’s landmark FPS on just about everything. At this point, there is even a whole website dedicated to listing every Doom port in existence, including some crazy ones like Doom running on a lawn mower. However, this latest port’s most interesting feature isn’t that it’s running on unconventional gaming hardware but that it’s running on the internet’s largest video platform.
DOOM Fan Finds a Way to Make the Classic Shooter Playable on YouTube
YouTube creator Atlas Arcade has found a way to make the original Doom playable in a YouTube video, complete with a tutorial and a minute-long corridor playthrough. While it’s not a true FPS experience, fans can use the WASD keys to look around the interactive video space and enable the gun model by cleverly leveraging YouTube’s captioning feature. At set intervals, the video will count down, prompting players to click to shoot and simulating an FPS experience. Atlas Arcade has “ported” multiple games into interactive YouTube videos, including Five Nights at Freddy’s and Mario Kart, and has stated that Doom has been one of the most requested ports so far.
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Although it’s not the true Doom first-person shooter experience fans have come to love, many users seem to enjoy the novelty of the concept. Comments in the video want the creator to do the whole game, since this is just a one-minute slice of what is possible, while others joke about when they can start adding mods. As always, the “Can it run Doom?” community keeps it light when seeing what wacky place Doom shows up next.
Although it has been the same gag for thirty years, Doom projects like this continue to captivate the gaming community for good reason. For many fans, Doom is more than just a 32-bit FPS from 1993. At this point, the game has evolved into a benchmark for programming wizardry and experimentation. Among official ports and strange unofficial ports, Doom remains one of the most adaptable video games ever created.
While playing Doom on YouTube is hardly the best way to experience id Software’s classic FPS, the “Can it run Doom?” gag has always seemed to be less about finding practical ways to play the game and more about showcasing what can be done with the code. Perhaps one of the best things that ever happened to the shooter was id Software’s decision to go open-source with Doom‘s original code in 1997, eventually making it a monument to what can be done with code when everyone has free access to it. Obviously, not everyone is going to want to play Doom on a TI calculator, but the fact that it can be done reflects the franchise’s enduring legacy and the gaming community’s dedication to finding new ways to port their favorite FPS.
- Released
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May 15, 2025
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Bethesda Softworks
