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This Apple dongle is so powerful, it can run Doom
Apple's Lightning to HDMI dongle has to output HDMI from USB 2.0 devices, so it packs good computing power.
- Doom has been successfully run on Apple’s Lightning to HDMI adapter.
- The dongle contains surprising computing power, including an SoC and RAM. This feat was achieved using iOS exploits and externally loading firmware onto the dongle.
“Can it run Doom?” has evolved to become a cult meme at this point, with developers and enthusiasts trying to run Doom on just about anything these days, including Android 16’s Linux Terminal. As long as something has some processing power, there’s bound to be someone hacking together a way to run the 1993 first-person shooter video game. There’s even a dedicated “It runs Doom” subreddit for this! The latest piece of tech that has been hacked to run Doom is Apple’s Lightning to HDMI adapter, and I’m surprised by how powerful this simple dongle is.
In the video above, Doom is running on the official Lightning Digital AV adapter, which Apple sells for a cool $49. You can get cheap alternatives on Amazon for as low as $10, but there’s a reason Apple’s dongle is so expensive. In addition to the Apple tax (the markup that Apple adds to its products), the company has also equipped this dongle with some surprising computing power.
