GitHub programmer ports playable Doom to DSLR camera with 3-inch TFT LCD display — Canon EOS 550D with open-source Magic Lantern firmware uses camera’s button as controls, even plays sound
Running Doom on the weirdest hardware and software has become a challenge in the developer community. The latest feat that we see today has been achieved by lauris-nl, after they built a port for the Canon EOS 550D digital SLR camera. The intrepid programmer achieved this by using the open-source Magic Lantern firmware that was supposed to unlock extra features for the camera. We’ve seen weird and quirky projects running on “exotic” hardware like an electric cooking pot, an Apple Lightning-to-HDMI dongle, or even an orbiting satellite, but this is the first time that I’ve seen one running on a camera.
The Canon EOS 550D, also known as the Rebel T2i, is an entry-level digital SLR that Canon launched in 2010. It had an 18-megapixel APS-C sensor paired with a DIGIC 4 image processor and features a 3-inch TFT LCD display and a rear mono speaker. This is apparently powerful enough to run Doom, with lauris-nl showing off the game running smoothly on the camera. The up, down, left, and right buttons serve as the camera control and navigation, while the set button is the select and fire button. You can press the Menu button to open the in-game menu, and then the DISP. button to go back while in the Doom menu. Since the 550D comes with a speaker, you can hear in-game sounds as you go through its different levels.
Unfortunately, its developer said that this port only works on the Canon EOS 550D with firmware version 1.0.9. They specifically said, “Do not install this binary on another camera model or firmware version.” Although they did not say why, you don’t want to run into the risk of bricking your camera if you attempt to do so (unless you know what you’re doing). Now, if you have this specific gear and want to give it a try yourself, it’s relatively easy to do. You just need a compatible Magic Lantern 550D.109 build on an SD card, copy the released module to ML/MODULES/doom.mo and create the ML/DOOM/ folder, then paste your Doom-compatible files into it.
From there, plug the SD card into your Canon camera, turn it on and select Doom > WAD in the Magic Lantern Games menu, and then restart the camera. From there, you’re off to blasting demons and the undead into kingdom come straight from your camera. This is a great way of relaxing after an entire day of shooting your subjects, although it’s ideal that you keep your Doom game on an SD card that’s separate from where you keep your photos. If you don’t have a Canon EOS 550D, another developer created a Doom port for the Canon PowerShot SD1000 / IXUS 70 point-and-shoot camera from 2007, so you might want to give it a try if you have it stored in your drawer.
