The original Doom (1993) is legendary. But if you’ve ever fired it up on a modern monitor, you’ve probably noticed it doesn’t play nice with widescreens. Stretched visuals, low resolution, and black bars kill the vibe. The good news? You can play classic Doom in true widescreen with modern features—without ruining that old-school feel.

Here’s how to do it, step by step.

Why Play Doom in Widescreen?

• Better visuals: Enjoy a cleaner, expanded view without distortion.
• Modern controls: Mouse look, high framerates, and mods.
• Authentic experience: Preserve the original feel with visual enhancements, not overhauls.

What You’ll Need

• A copy of the original Doom WAD file (from Ultimate Doom or Doom II)
• A modern source port (we recommend GZDoom)
• A PC running Windows, macOS, or Linux

Step-by-Step: Playing Doom in Widescreen

Step 1: Get the Original WAD Files

You need the game’s data file—called a WAD (Where’s All the Data).
If you legally own Doom via Steam, GOG, or an old disc version, you already have them.

Look for:

• DOOM.WAD (Ultimate Doom)
• DOOM2.WAD (Doom II)

You’ll usually find them here on Steam:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Doom\base

Step 2: Download GZDoom

GZDoom is a modern engine that runs Doom with widescreen support, high resolution, and tons of customization.

1. Go to https://zdoom.org/downloads
2. Download the latest version of GZDoom for your OS
3. Extract the ZIP file to a folder on your PC

Step 3: Add Your WAD Files to GZDoom

1. Copy your DOOM.WAD or DOOM2.WAD into the GZDoom folder
2. Double-click gzdoom.exe
3. Choose the game you want to play—GZDoom auto-detects the WADs

Now you’re playing classic Doom—but better.

Step 4: Enable Widescreen Settings

1. Press Esc > Options > Display Options
2. Set the resolution to match your monitor (e.g., 1920×1080, 2560×1440)
3. In “Set Video Mode,” choose fullscreen or borderless windowed
4. Under “Aspect Ratio,” select widescreen

You’ll get clean widescreen visuals without any stretching.

Bonus: Add Mods or HD Textures (Optional)

Want to tweak the look or add quality-of-life features?

• Smooth Doom – smoother animations
• Brightmaps – dynamic lighting for effects
• Wadsmoosh – combines all Doom games into one seamless package
• Final Doomer – new weapons tailored for each campaign

Just drop the .pk3 or .wad mod files into the GZDoom folder and drag them onto gzdoom.exe to launch with mods.

Final Thoughts

Playing classic Doom in widescreen breathes new life into a game that still holds up over 30 years later. With GZDoom, you can enjoy modern comforts while keeping that original punchy gameplay intact.

Let the shotgun blasts echo—Doom was never meant to be boxed in.