Recently, Husqvarna announced the release of Doom in a free software update to users of its Automower NERA models, available to play from April 2024 until September 2024, at which point another update will remove the game. This update (as one may expect) is also opt-in since not everyone who bought a fancy lawnmower necessarily wants to run a game on it, even if they happen to appreciate Doom.
Also, this isn’t the entire game— this is just episode 1 of Doom, Knee-Deep in the Dead, like most shareware releases of Doom.
That said, the setup looks nifty— and it’s technically not the first time we’ve seen it. Last year at Dreamhack 2023, a gaming, programming, and digital art event, Husqvarna showed off Doom running on its mowers and even set up a booth for lawnmower-based Doom 1v1s. Now, it seems ready to leave the show floor and get into the hands of end users, though not without caveats.
As mentioned above, the main caveat is that this is a time-limited offer that will end in September 2024 when an update removes the game. You must also opt-in to receive the game in the April software update. What might be more pressing, though, is the list of countries where the update is available, pictured below. Doom enjoyers based in the United States, like the writer of this article, might be out of luck.
Despite the promotional video claiming this is a worldwide release, it does seem like something or another has stopped them from making it available in the US.
The DOOM x Husqvarna gaming experience is available in the following markets: United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey, Moldova, Republic of Serbia, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland.
This is unfortunate, but ultimately not a big deal. Here in 2024, there is no shortage of ways to play Doom. These days, Doom runs on anything from an air hockey table to a literal keyboard keycap. You can even make it (or at least its video output) run within Notepad!
And finally, you could always buy the game on a modern PC or console and enjoy the “intended” experience. Unfortunately, no intended device for playing Doom besides this one will naturally produce those sweet green leaf volatiles (GLVs or mowed grass smells), so Husqvarna may have the market cornered on this one.
