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Graham Sanderson adapted his RP2040/RP2350 Doom port to run on the RP2350-powered DEF CON 32 badge, turning the conference hardware into a community-programmable platform for a classic game. Raspberry Pi described the result as running at a “high frame rate,” but published no benchmark; Sanderson’s release notes document gameplay, level completion, and saving and loading in the build.
How Doom made it onto the DEF CON 32 badge
The DEF CON 32 badge was powered by Raspberry Pi’s RP2350 microcontroller. Raspberry Pi reported that 30,000 DEF CON attendees received zero-day access to the new chip in 2024. The badge was more than a keepsake: its RP2350 made it a platform attendees could program and experiment with.
Sanderson’s project release describes the work as “a version of my ‘rp2040-doom’ (which itself now supports RP2350) modified to run on the DEFCON 32 Badge.” In other words, it was an adaptation of his existing Doom port for the badge—not the badge’s stock gaming experience. Raspberry Pi says Sanderson and the company helped attendees program the modified firmware onto their badges.
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In its account, Raspberry Pi called the port “high frame rate.” That is the company’s qualitative description, not a published frame-rate measurement or independent performance test. The release notes provide a more concrete account of what the documented build could do.
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- RP2350A microcontroller chip designed by Raspberry Pi in the United Kingdom. Adopts unique dual-core and dual-architecture design: dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor and dual-core Hazard3 RISC-V processor, flexible clock running up to 150 MHz
- 520KB of SRAM, and 2MB of onboard Flash memory. Type-C connector, keeps it up to date, easier to use. Castellated module allows soldering directly to carrier boards
- USB 1.1 with device and host support. Onboard 1x USB Type A expansion port via PIO, compatible with USB 2.0/1.1 transmission. Low-power sleep and dormant modes
- Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB. Adapting 15 × multi-function GPIO pins. 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 4 × 12-bit ADC, 14 × controllable PWM channels
- Accurate clock and timer on-chip. Temperature sensor. Accelerated floating-point libraries on-chip. 12 × Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support
What the documented badge build can do
Sanderson’s release notes describe demos and playable Doom, including completing levels. They also list save and load support, with saved games kept in flash. Those are capabilities reported for the documented build; they should not be read as results from an independent test.
The project grew out of Sanderson’s earlier RP2040 Doom work. Raspberry Pi’s earlier account of Doom on the Pico discusses a four-player I2C demonstration. That is separate historical context: it does not establish how multiplayer worked on the DEF CON 32 badge.
Rank #2
- RPi Pico 2 W Microcontroller Board (pre-soldered header (color-coded)), Based on Official RP2350 Chip, Dual-core & Dual-architecture Design. Upgraded hardware from Pico 2 with wireless communication, onboard antenna, features 2.4GHz 802.11n WIFI and Bluetooth 5.2.
- Adopts unique dual-core and dual-architecture design: dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor and dual-core Hazard3 RISC-V processor, flexible clock running up to 150 MHz.
- Onboard Infineon CYW43439 wireless chip, supports WIFI 4 wireless and Bluetooth 5.2.
- 520KB of SRAM, and 4MB of on-board Flash memory.
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards. USB 1.1 with device and host support. Low-power sleep and dormant modes. Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB.
Multiplayer came later through the badge’s SAO connector
Raspberry Pi reports that later experimentation enabled multiplayer by connecting badges through their SAO connectors. This is a later development than the initial badge Doom port, and it is distinct from the four-player I2C setup described in the earlier Pico Doom story. The available account does not specify a player count or provide enough detail to treat the two implementations as equivalent.
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The project’s installation notes describe putting the badge into its BOOT mode and copying a UF2 firmware file to the RP2350 drive. Because programming the Doom build overwrites the badge’s flash, preserve anything you need before proceeding and be prepared to restore the stock firmware. Consult the project’s current release notes for the applicable build and instructions: Sanderson’s rp2040-doom releases.
Rank #3
- Dual-Core and Dual-Architecture Design: RP2350-PiZero is powered by dual ARM Cortex-M33 or dual Hazard3 RISC-V processors, offering flexibility with clock speeds up to 150 MHz for enhanced processing capabilities.
- Expandable Memory: It features 520KB of Static Random, 16MB of onboard Flash memory, and includes reserved solder pads for PStatic Random chip expansion, offering scalable storage options.
- Comprehensive Connectivity: The board includes a DVI interface for HDMI screens, TF card slot for storage, and a PIO-USB port, providing versatile connections for different projects.
- Mobile-Friendly Power Features: Equipped with a Type-C connector for easy use, and a lithium battery recharge/discharge header, making it perfect for mobile and low-power applications.
- Extensive I/O and Customization: With 5 × multi-function GPIO pins, SPI, I2C, UART, ADC, PWM, and 12 programmable I/O state machines, this board allows extensive customization for various peripherals.
The steps below summarize the release’s documented process; the exact file and behavior can change with project updates.
- Back up first. Save any badge contents you want to keep and make sure you have a way to restore the stock firmware.
- Get the badge build. Follow the current project release notes to obtain the UF2 intended for the DEF CON 32 badge.
- Enter boot mode. Use the badge’s BOOT button as described in the project notes so the RP2350 appears as a drive.
- Copy the UF2. Copy the firmware file to that drive and allow the programming process to finish.
The RP2350 context—and what this project does not show
Raspberry Pi’s DEF CON retrospective also describes a separate RP2350 security challenge. Its rules concerned bypassing the signed boot process to access secrets in on-chip OTP. That was a distinct security exercise, not an exploit or capability demonstrated by running Doom.
Rank #4
- RP2350-Plus Development Board is a Pico-like MCU board based on Raspberry Pi RP2350A dual-core & dual-architecture microcontroller chip, compatible with most of Raspberry Pi Pico add-on modules
- RP2350 MCU Board Plus with 520KB of Static Random-Access Memory, and 4MB of on-board Flash memory, Type-C connector, keeps it up to date, easier to use
- Onboard recharge/discharge header, suitable for mobile devices, onboard DC-DC chip MP28164, high efficiency DC-DC buck-boost chip, maximum 2A load current
- 26 × multi-function GPIO pins, 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 4 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels, configurable pin function, allows flexible development and integration
- Support C/C++, MicroPython, Comprehensive SDK, online dev resources and tutorials to help you easily get started
For people who want to experiment with RP2350 hardware, a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 is an adjacent development-board option. It is not the DEF CON 32 badge, and this port’s badge-specific firmware and peripherals should not be assumed to work unchanged on it.
Quick Recap
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- Note: The Pico 2 W comes with no program by default, so you won’t see any lights when plugged in. Please upload a simple blink program to verify it's working.
- Built-in Wireless Connectivity: Integrated Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 5.2 for seamless IoT and embedded applications.
- High-Performance RP2350 Chip: Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 with FPU and Hazard3 RISC-V cores, delivering double the speed and flexibility of the RP2040.
- Increased RAM: Equipped with 520 KB of on-chip RAM, facilitating efficient data handling for complex applications.
- Expanded Flash Storage: Provides 4 MB of onboard flash memory, suitable for storing extensive codebases and data.
Sources and scope
- Raspberry Pi: “30,000 badges and still no hack?” — the badge, RP2350, Sanderson’s port, Raspberry Pi’s performance description, the 30,000-attendee context, and later SAO multiplayer.
- Graham Sanderson’s rp2040-doom releases — badge adaptation, installation outline, flash warning, and documented functions.
- Raspberry Pi: “Doom comes to Raspberry Pi Pico” — earlier RP2040 port history and I2C multiplayer context.
- Raspberry Pi: “RP2350 Hacking Challenge at DEF CON 2024” — the separate signed-boot and OTP challenge.
- Hackster.io coverage — contemporaneous secondary reporting.
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