A new port of Doom can now be loaded directly from Cloudflare using DNS, without writing files to disk, through 1,964 encoded DNS TXT records. This innovative approach allows users to execute the game via a PowerShell command, drawing attention to the alternate uses of the Domain Name System, which was not originally designed for this purpose.
The development highlights the potential of DNS zones to deliver vast amounts of text records, enough to run lightweight software like Doom. Security researchers had previously demonstrated the risks associated with DNS, revealing how hackers use subdomains to deliver malware in a piecemeal fashion. Coder Adam Rice adopted a similar method to facilitate the game port.
Rice’s version of Doom is based on Nobuaki Tanaka’s C# rendition, known as Managed Doom, and includes modifications made with assistance from AI tool Claude. He successfully compressed the original game size from 8.4MB to 1.9MB for more efficient network loading.
To initiate gameplay, users need to install PowerShell 7 and run the command “.\Start-DoomOverDNS.ps1 -PrimaryZone ‘example.com’.” Additional instructions for uploading the game and executing further commands are available on Rice’s GitHub page. The game operates independently without requiring other dependencies or installation of extra software.
This method aligns with a trend of unconventional devices and systems that have been creatively utilized to run Doom. Examples include a variety of everyday objects and devices such as a single keyboard key, a McDonald’s cash register, and even some systems as complex as a computer made of living human neurons.
The growing list of objects that can run Doom also features well-known tech items, including the Commodore 64, a satellite in orbit, and Microsoft’s Word processing software. Recently, adaptations of both Doom and Quake were created for the Analogue Pocket gaming console, which emulates retro systems via FPGA while running these games natively. Though performance is not flawless, the Analogue Pocket reportedly executes them better than many personal computers from the 1990s.
