TL;DR: Another day, another electronic device receives a port of id Software's iconic first-person shooter. Next up is a robotic lawn mower. However, a modder's doing. It's actually an official update from the manufacturer. Unfortunately, the game will only be temporarily available, but dedicated hackers could likely find a way to make it permanent.
Owners of Husqvarna NERA automatic lawn mowers in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand can soon download a port of Doom to their mower. Ports of Doom for devices not normally expected to run video games usually come from hobbyist tinkerers, but Husqvarna is distributing its version through an official update.
To receive the game, owners must sign up on the company's website before August 26. Starting April 9, the company will begin rolling out the port through the lawn mower's Automower Connect App. It may take up to a week to receive the game. However, it will only remain playable until September 9.
The game displays on the lawn mower's small onboard screen, and players control it using its settings and programming console. Turn the jog wheel to move left and right, press the start button to move forward, and push the jog wheel to fire. The company doesn't explain whether users can change weapons or strafe, so expect a barebones port.
Huqvarna's lawn mower isn't the first outdoor equipment to run Doom. In 2022, an Australian hacker ported the game to a John Deere combine harvester to bring attention to the company's hostility to DIY repairs.
The list of things that can run Doom has reached a ridiculous breadth over the game's three decades on the market. It now includes:
- a McDonald's cash register
- a McDonald's self-order kiosk
- a single keyboard key
- a Porsche
- within Minecraft
- a pregnancy test (sort of )
- an Ikea smart lamp
- a motherboard
- a Lego brick
- Halloween candy
- a 1-milliwatt chip
- Teletext
- gut bacteria
- just about every gaming platform that exists
Note: The bacteria version displays the game on E. coli cells but takes eight and a half hours to render a single frame at 32 x 48 resolution in black and white.
The original Doom celebrated its 30th anniversary late last year. Co-creator John Romero released an all-new episode to mark the occasion. Sigil 2 follows its 2019 predecessor and adds nine new levels for story and deathmatch modes. Doom and Doom II owners can download Sigil and its sequel for free or purchase an enhanced soundtrack for €6.66.
https://www.techspot.com/news/102010-robot-lawn-mower-cuts-grass-you-but-can.html
