The Doom Port on Def Con Badge: A Hacker’s Feat

Electronic devices are constantly being pushed to their limits by hackers and tech enthusiasts, and this year’s Def Con event was no exception. The badge issued to attendees was not just a typical piece of plastic, but a sophisticated piece of technology resembling a Tamagotchi-Gameboy hybrid. With a screen, speakers, and a Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller, the badge was designed to be hacked, modded, and repurposed.

One of the most notable achievements at Def Con was getting the badge to run Doom. However, this task was far from easy, as highlighted by coder Kilograham in the project’s blog. The original code for Doom was designed for x86 chips running DOS, making porting it to an Arm-based dual-core SoC with limited memory and storage a significant challenge. This feat required extensive changes to the routines and interface of the game.

Despite the technical accomplishments of running Doom on the badge, the development and manufacturing process was not without its drama. Dmitry Grinberg, the badge’s firmware developer, was reportedly escorted from the event while discussing the project. The contracted manufacturer, Entropic Engineering, also released a statement expressing disappointment with the decisions made by the conference organizers.

Attendees who had paid to enter the conference were met with additional challenges regarding the badges. Due to a missed deadline, each of the 29,770 badges had to be manually programmed by volunteers. This resulted in frustration among attendees who had already invested financially in the event and expected a smoother experience.

Despite the initial setbacks and controversies surrounding the badge, it is expected that the issues will be resolved, and updated firmware will be released on the website. Those who possess the badge can look forward to enjoying more functionalities, including the ability to play games like the Doom port created by Kilograham. Overall, the Def Con badge serves as a testament to the creativity and technical prowess of the hacking community.