DOOM is kind of old and the steam ports are not really good by themselves, they are stretched to widescreen, and the mouse aiming feels really strange. This guide will show you how to play DOOM in the modern day, it's an incredibly easy process, and well worth it.



(⬆️That's me)



UPDATE 9/4/2020
Ultimate DOOM and DOOM 2 got an update that uses the updated bethesda.net/console ports, so it comes conventionally playable out of the box, so this guide has been rendered slightly less useful to casual Doomers.

Also, yes, GZDoom and Chocolate DOOM are valid choices of source ports.

For this you will need to download Crispy Doom-
"BUT I DON'T WANNA DOWNLOAD A SOURCE PORRRRRTTTT!!", I hear you cry, and listen,
It's not that hard. It's kind of annoying that you have to download stuff but it'll only take a second and is the best way to play DOOM. Here is what you need


Crispy DOOM master This is the best source port IMO. Sure, other source ports have more customizability but unless your a Turbo Nerd you'll never touch them, you'll enable mouse movement and ignore the rest, this means you'll keep on things that ruin the gameplay and look of the game (I.E. Interpolated monster movement, texture filtering, brighter shadows/darkness, etc.) if you don't know what any of that means it means "Download Crispy DOOM you dweeb."

Download Crispy DOOM. [github.com]


Crispy DOOM latest Daily Build (Second link once you go to the page the URL takes you to.)
This link will have the latest version of Crispy DOOM, you don't have to download it everyday, just download the latest version for the day you read this.

Download the Daily Build. (Just once, second link from the bottom.)[latest.chocolate-doom.org]

ZDL Launcher While not required either but it does make launching the game significantly easier, and the guide will assume you are using this to launch doom.

Download ZDL. [github.com]

Now, this part is going to have A LOT of text, and A LOT of pictures, incase you are technologically challenged like I am, but trust me, it's easier than it looks, just follow along and you'll be fine.

Create a new folder, or find place to put it all.
simple, you make a new folder, or find an existing folder you dont mind all your doom clutter taking up space in. I personally make a folder in the 'My Games' documents in windows called "DOOM" and put it all in there.

Placing the files
Inside this folder you want to want to create 3 folders before doing anything, ZDL, Source Ports, and IWADS. it should look like this. inside of each folder you put in the files of which they are named after (ZDL goes in the ZDL folder, BOTH the master and daily version of Crispy DOOM go the source ports folder, etc.)


Setting up shortcuts to the IWAD

Right click "The Ultimate DOOM" in your Library, and click on properties.



After the new menu opens, click on "Local Files", then "Browse Local Files..."



The local files will be opened for The Ultimate DOOM, Create a shortcut for "Base" by left clicking it once, then right clicking it once, and then selecting "Create Shortcut". Drag the "Base" shortcut to the IWADS folder. (Looks like the base shortcut but with a little arrow by the corner of the icon.) Once moved, you can Rename to "Ultimate DOOM".

Setting up ZDL
Go to your ZDL folder and double click ZDL.exe, once opened you'll be greeted to a menu like this. You'll want to click "Settings" in the top right.



After you click settings, you'll want to click "Add" on the left and then navigate the menu to where you placed the daily build of Crispy DOOM and click "Open" in the bottom right. Despite saying open all it does is add it to the available source ports. which we want.



Now go to the "Add" on the right, and follow the menu to where you put your IWADS folder, follow the shortcut you put in for The Ultimate DOOM and selecting the "DOOM.WAD" file, and press open like you did with the source port.

The source port's default audio options uses OPL, basically what that means is that it uses the soundfont used in the original 1993 release, but the most iconic version of the soundtrack comes from the 1995 port. simply open up Crispy-Doom-Setup,


Click on "Configure Sound"


and then once you open up sound, you will see a menu with a bunch of options. click on "MIDI/MP3/OGG/FLAC", which is programmer for "I am the best soundfont please put me on.", Despite asking for a location for a timidity soundfont you do not need to put anything here, it will work fine.

go to the "Main" menu of the ZDL launcher, and press launch. you now are playing the game. once you are in you can go to the options menu, and open a "Crispiness" menu, this basically lets you enable and disable additional settings not seen in the original doom such as widescreen support and better scaling.


you can increase and decrease screen size with + and -

Yep, that's how you play DOOM in the modern day. Comment your questions, or google them, because I am not even a novice on the technical side of things.