A Raspberry Pi RP2040 is running Doom on a custom keycap
A Raspberry Pi RP2040 can run Doom, and you can actually play it on a custom keycap. That’s right, you can insert a Raspberry Pi microprocessor into a key on your keyboard and play a first-person shooter like it’s 1997 all over again. The creator, Bob, shares updates and other cool projects on Instagram, so be sure to check them out.
The Raspberry Pi is such a versatile piece of hardware, and it’s really incredible to see what people can do with it. This project, in particular, involves a small custom PCB with the RP2040 microprocessor sealed in clear resin to prevent short circuiting.
The PCB is a modified version of an existing RP2040 Doom port, with added support for display modules. The creator wanted to retain the original functionality of Doom, including stereo sound and network multiplayer, but with a higher resolution. The game itself runs at 320 x 200px, which is exactly the same as it was on my old 486.
Playing Doom on a keycap may not be practical, and it’s probably not very comfortable, but I certainly wouldn’t mind having it as a novelty item. Plus, it’s just fascinating to see it in action. The PCB had to be created from scratch to fit inside the keycap, along with a display module. A USB port is also included for input and power.
You can find the source code for the project on GitHub, so feel free to tinker around with it yourself. If you’re just curious to see it in action, check out the demo video on Instagram, and you can also subscribe to Bob’s channel to keep up with other cool projects.
