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The most defensible starting point for a pocket-sized DOOM console is an RP2350-based port such as pico-doom, running on an Adafruit Fruit Jam or a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 with the documented DVI hardware. That setup proves the game can run on a microcontroller, but it is not a finished handheld: the documented build still uses an external HDMI display and USB input device. A genuinely pocketable console requires additional, unvalidated work on the display, controls, battery, charging circuit and enclosure.
Start with a working RP2350 DOOM prototype
The project described by the pico-doom documentation targets the RP2350 microcontroller. Its reference platform is the Adafruit Fruit Jam, with Raspberry Pi Pico 2 plus an Adafruit DVI breakout, Murmulator M2 and Adafruit Feather RP2350 listed as supported alternatives. The port runs the shareware DOOM1.WAD from flash and sends video through the board’s HSTX interface to an HDMI display.
This distinction matters. You can reproduce a documented DOOM development setup with known requirements, but the available documentation does not describe a validated battery-powered handheld, a tested small panel, a finished button matrix or a complete enclosure. Treat the documented system as the electronics and software core of a custom console, not as a ready-made product design.
What the reference build actually connects
- One supported RP2350 board: Fruit Jam, Pico 2 with the specified DVI breakout, Murmulator M2 or Feather RP2350.
- An HDMI display and an HDMI cable.
- At least one supported USB input device, such as a keyboard, mouse or gamepad.
- A converted shareware WAD file and the board-specific firmware supplied by the project.
Audio can travel over HDMI. On supported boards it can instead be produced through an I2S DAC, allowing a separate speaker or headphone circuit. A microSD card is not required for the basic game in this configuration; it becomes relevant for saves, settings and some alternative project arrangements.
#1 Best Overall
- Dual Arm Cortex-M33 or dual RISC-V Hazard3 processors @ 150MHz CPU
- 520 KB on-chip SRAM; 4 MB on-board QSPI flash
- 2 × UART, 2 × SPI controllers, 2 × I2C controllers, 24 × PWM channels, 1 × USB 1.1 controller and PHY, with host and device support, 12 × PIO state machines
- 26 multi-purpose GPIO pins, including 4 that can be used for ADC
- 21 mm × 51 mm
Important startup behavior
The README warns that USB hot-plugging is unreliable for this configuration. Connect the keyboard, mouse or gamepad before starting the game rather than plugging it in after DOOM has booted. The project also exposes settings for sound and music volume, screen size and mouse sensitivity. Those controls belong to this implementation and should not be treated as universal requirements for every DOOM handheld.
Choose the right platform before buying parts
There are two sensible architecture choices: a specialized RP2350 firmware build or a small Linux computer running a conventional DOOM port. They solve different problems.
| Approach | What is established | Work still required for a pocket console |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi Pico 2 or another RP2350 board | The documented port runs shareware DOOM, outputs HDMI video and accepts USB input. | Replace the external monitor with a suitable integrated display, design handheld controls, create a safe battery and charging system, and build an enclosure. |
| Adafruit Fruit Jam with the RP2350 port | It is the project’s reference board and follows the same general HDMI and USB arrangement. | Compact mechanical integration, power management, controls and display integration remain custom work. |
| Linux-capable Raspberry Pi, such as a Zero-class board | Linux provides a familiar operating-system environment. Chocolate Doom documents Raspberry Pi console and framebuffer use. | Install and configure the current operating system and packages, then solve the display, controls, battery and enclosure as a separate handheld project. |
Why Pico 2 is attractive
Pico 2 is an RP2350 microcontroller board, not a Linux computer. Current Raspberry Pi hardware documentation lists 520 kB of memory and 4 MB of storage. Programs are flashed to onboard memory, so the system can boot directly into a purpose-built game firmware without an operating-system desktop. That makes it a strong foundation when the goal is a fixed-function console with minimal software overhead.
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- 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.
Why Linux may be preferable
A Linux route is more familiar if you want shell access, package management and the ability to run other desktop-style software. Raspberry Pi’s Zero family is Linux-capable and provides microSD storage, mini HDMI and two micro-USB ports. Chocolate Doom’s Raspberry Pi guidance includes the framebuffer-oriented command chocolate-doom -geometry 640x480 -bpp 24, while warning that configuration changes may be necessary.
That command is not a Pico instruction. A Linux build has an operating-system boot process, storage image, package versions and configuration files; the RP2350 build uses board-specific firmware. Do not assume that a display or controller that works on one route will work on the other without an adapter and software configuration.
Parts you can specify with confidence
The following list is the smallest evidence-based shopping plan for reproducing the documented RP2350 setup. It is deliberately not presented as a complete pocket-console bill of materials.
Rank #3
- The Raspberry Pi Pico is a beginner-friendly microcontroller board that uses MicroPython to give you a taste of the Internet of Things and microcontrollers. The RP2040 is a well-designed microprocessor that can be utilized in almost any Internet of Things project. It has enough power to complete the task quickly.
- 【Raspberry Pi RP2040 Microcontroller】Raspberry Pi Pico features Dual-core ARM Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz. With 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory.Supports up to 16 MB of off chip flash memory via a dedicated QSPI bus
- 【Multiple Software Support】Pico has rich and complete software support, it comes with a complete Rasberry Pi official C/C++ SDK, Micropython SDK.The programming and burning of Pico need to be carried out on the computer. Supported operating systems and computers include:Raspberry Pie with Raspberry Pi OS,Other platforms equipped with Debian based Linux system Computer with MacOS, Computers with Windows, etc.
- 【Rich Hardware Interface】Raspberry Pi Pico has 30 GPIO pins, 4 pins for analog signal input and 26 × multi-function GPIO pins, 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels.USB 1.1 supported by host and device, The installation mode can be flexibly selected by users to facilitate welding with other development boards.
- 【Build Project in Tiny Size】Only 2.1cm*5.1cm ( as small as your thumb). Pico has been designed to use either soldered 0.1" pin-headers or can be used as a surface-mountable 'module'.
| Part | Status | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Supported RP2350 board | Required | Runs the pico-doom firmware; choose Fruit Jam, Pico 2 with the documented DVI breakout, Murmulator M2 or Feather RP2350. |
| HDMI display | Required for the documented setup | Receives the HSTX-to-HDMI video output. |
| HDMI cable or suitable adapter | Required | Connects the board’s video hardware to the display. |
| USB keyboard, mouse or supported gamepad | At least one required | Provides gameplay input; connect it before boot. |
Shareware DOOM1.WAD |
Required for the documented game | Stored in flash after following the project’s conversion and release procedure. |
| Speaker or headphones | Optional | Use HDMI audio instead, or use an I2S DAC on a supported board. |
| MicroSD card | Optional for this basic route | Useful for saves, settings or project variants that use removable storage. |
The parts that make a device genuinely pocket-sized are not established by the cited documentation. There is no validated battery capacity, charging IC, power-management board, embedded-display interface, button layout, thermal design or enclosure drawing to copy. Selecting a random lithium battery, generic tiny HDMI panel or untested controller and calling it compatible would turn an engineering assumption into a misleading recommendation.
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Prototyping the documented arrangement before shrinking it gives you a known-good software baseline. Follow the project’s release instructions for the exact board you selected; firmware and file-conversion details are board-specific.
- Select one supported board. For the clearest Raspberry Pi route, use a Pico 2 together with the documented DVI breakout. Fruit Jam is the project’s reference platform.
- Prepare the firmware and WAD. Obtain the board-specific release, convert the shareware
DOOM1.WADin the format the project expects, and flash or copy files exactly as that release procedure specifies. Do not substitute a commercial IWAD or assume every DOOM edition is supported. - Connect video. Attach the DVI/HDMI hardware, HDMI cable and display before powering the board. Confirm that the monitor accepts the output mode used by the port.
- Connect input before startup. Attach the supported USB keyboard, mouse or gamepad before launching the game. USB devices added after boot may not be detected reliably.
- Boot and check controls. Verify that video appears, input responds and sound is audible over HDMI or through the selected I2S audio path. Adjust screen size, mouse sensitivity and sound/music volume using the project’s settings.
- Exercise saves and settings. If you need persistent saves or configuration, test the project’s microSD option before designing a case around it. The basic flash-only game does not make a card mandatory.
Keep this prototype intact until you can repeatedly power it up, load the WAD, play, save if required and recover from a reset. A smaller display or custom controller should be introduced one change at a time so a failure can be traced to the new hardware rather than to an unknown combination of modifications.
Rank #4
- RPi Pico 2 microcontroller board (with yellow Pre-Soldered Header) is powered by Official RP2350 microcontroller chip, with unique dual-core and dual-architecture design, running up to 150 MHz, embedded 520KB of SRAM and 4MB of on-board Flash memory, as well as 26x multi-function GPIO pins
- 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 4MB of on-board Flash memory
- 26 × multi-function GPIO pins. 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 24 × controllable PWM channels
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards. USB 1.1 with device and host support. Low-power sleep and dormant modes.
What must change for a pocket-sized console
Display selection
The documented video path ends at HDMI, which is convenient on a bench but physically awkward in a handheld. An integrated panel must accept the board’s actual signal, fit the available enclosure volume and operate within the chosen power budget. A panel advertised as “HDMI” may still require a controller board, backlight power and a cable that do not fit your case. Until a specific panel and adapter have been electrically tested with the chosen board, list it as a design candidate rather than a proven part.
Controls
A USB gamepad is the simplest way to prove gameplay, but a pocket console normally needs built-in buttons, a directional control and possibly a second stick or shoulder buttons. The RP2350 port’s supported USB input behavior does not by itself define a GPIO button matrix or a scan routine. You must decide whether the custom controls will present themselves as USB, be read by firmware directly or use an intermediate controller. That choice affects wiring, latency, firmware changes and the enclosure.
Battery and charging
Power is the largest unresolved part of the pocket design. The references establish neither a battery-life figure nor a tested charging circuit. Display consumption, board load, audio volume, USB peripherals and conversion losses all change the required capacity. Choose the battery, charger, protection and voltage regulation only after measuring the exact board-and-display combination. Include a hardware power switch and a safe charge path; do not connect an unprotected cell directly to a board’s 5 V or 3.3 V rail.
Best Value
- Latest Version: Higher core clock speed, double memory, more powerful Arm cores, optional RISC-V cores (compared to the 1 series) (This W version has onboard wireless LAN and Bluetooth)
- Switchable Cores: Allows users to choose between dual industry-standard Arm Cortex-M33 cores and dual open-hardware Hazard3 cores
- Compatibility: Delivers a significant performance boost, while retaining software- and hardware-compatible with the 1 series
- Detailed Tutorial: Provides step-by-step guide with MicroPython, C and Processing (Java) Code (The download link can be found on the product box) (No paper tutorial)
- Example Projects: Each project has schematics, wiring diagrams, complete code and detailed explanations (Need extra items)
Enclosure and serviceability
Reserve space for the display controller, DVI/HDMI wiring, USB access, speaker openings, charging connector and strain relief. Leave a way to reach the boot or reset controls and to replace the battery. A case that is merely small may be difficult to assemble, unsafe to charge or impossible to repair. Prototype the layout in cardboard or a 3D-printed shell before committing to a permanent enclosure.
Storage, memory and what the historical numbers mean
Do not mix figures from different generations. Raspberry Pi reported that an earlier RP2040 DOOM port fit the executable and a compressed shareware WAD into the Pico’s 2 MB flash. That was a historical description of Graham Sanderson’s original build, not a specification for every current port or every DOOM game file.
For the current Pico 2 platform, Raspberry Pi lists 520 kB of memory and 4 MB of storage. Those capacities describe the board, not guaranteed free space after firmware, assets, settings or future features are added. The documented pico-doom setup specifically runs the shareware WAD from flash; commercial game data, additional episodes or a different port may have different requirements.
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Troubleshoot by isolating the layer that failed
No picture
- Confirm that the board, DVI hardware, cable and monitor are the exact combination supported by the release.
- Power the display before or alongside the board and select the correct HDMI input.
- Return to the known external-display prototype before testing a small panel or custom adapter.
Keyboard, mouse or gamepad is ignored
- Power down, connect the USB device, then boot again; hot-plugging is not reliable in this configuration.
- Try a device explicitly listed as supported by the project rather than assuming every USB controller will enumerate.
- Test one input device at a time to rule out hub power and compatibility problems.
Game starts but audio is silent
- Check the display’s HDMI audio path and volume first.
- If using an I2S DAC, verify that the selected board and wiring are among the project’s supported combinations.
- Use the project’s sound and music volume settings rather than changing several hardware variables simultaneously.
Saves or settings disappear
Confirm whether your chosen route stores persistent data in flash or expects a microSD card. The flash-only shareware setup is not evidence that every configuration can preserve saves without removable storage.
Set realistic expectations for the finished build
An RP2350 DOOM console is technically credible, but “pocket-sized” describes the mechanical result, not the documented reference configuration. The evidence supports a working microcontroller game system with HDMI video, USB input and optional HDMI or I2S audio. It does not support a promised battery runtime, a particular tiny screen, a universal controller wiring scheme or a ready-to-print enclosure.
The safest workflow is therefore staged: prove the supported board and external peripherals, measure the exact power draw of the display and controls you intend to use, then design the battery and case around those measurements. If you prefer a Linux computer and easier access to desktop software, investigate the Raspberry Pi Zero/Chocolate Doom route instead, accepting its additional operating-system and configuration work.
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