Virtually every platform imaginable has found a way to run DOOM in one form or another. Yet one creator managed to catch the eye of the community with a truly playful twist. Jeroen Domburg built a Christmas decoration that doubles as a tiny gaming console and used it to run the classic shooter during the New Year festivities.
What makes this project stand out is not just the whimsy of combining a holiday ornament with a beloved game. The setup is a compact, retro-inspired replica of a 1980s IBM workstation. It hides a fan inside its miniature chassis and relies on an ESP32 microcontroller to drive the display and manage input. The game has already seen ports to various quirky devices, but Domburg chose to adapt a port originally made for the Game Boy Advance as the heart of this unique Christmas gadget.
And the novelty does not stop at the decorative aspect. The miniature computer is capable of running DOOM beyond a simple demonstration. When a compatible wireless gamepad is attached, the user can play in a practical, single player mode. There is room for expansion, and the project could evolve to include more features such as network play and additional game modes. Together with the hardware ingenuity, this project shows how a fan can reimagine a traditional console experience within a tiny, holiday-focused build.
As a result, the project blends retro computing aesthetics with modern microcontroller technology. The ESP32 platform handles both the control logic and the user input, while the tiny display delivers a surprisingly crisp view of the classic shooter. The end product is a conversation starter that demonstrates how DOOM remains a flexible canvas for hobbyists who enjoy tinkering with hardware and software alike. It is a testament to how a festive object can become a functional, interactive entertainment device rather than just a decorative piece.
The experience invites players to rethink the boundaries of what a game console can be. A single compact unit can deliver a genuine gameplay session, bridging playful holiday décor with a straightforward gaming workflow. The project also echoes the enduring appeal of DOOM, a title that continues to inspire fresh experiments and creative adaptations across generations of hardware and software enthusiasts.
In the broader landscape of hobbyist hardware ports, this example underscores how accessible development boards and retro-inspired design can produce new ways to engage with classic games. The blend of a commemorative display with a capable microcontroller demonstrates that technology does not have to be a bulky, expensive setup to deliver meaningful play. It can be compact, personal, and unexpectedly capable when a creator brings curiosity and ingenuity to the table.