Hacker GaryOberNicht, recently showcased their ability to run custom firmware on the Alarmo in a video posted on Mastodon and their X account yesterday. The video demonstrates playing a game by utilizing the mushroom-shaped blob on top of the Alarmo to move and pressing other buttons to shoot or open doors. Check it out:
According to Gary’s statement, it’s possible to load the shareware version of Doom entirely from USB without altering the Alarmo. They have shared the software and instructions for running it on Github, allowing other Alarmo owners with sufficient knowledge and determination to do the same without opening the clock.
Gary explains in a blog post that after Spinda hacked the Alarmo and dumped the firmware, Gary devised a method using USB mode and the USB-C port to direct the Alarmo towards custom external firmware.
Given the simplicity of replicating Gary’s achievement, Alarmo software modifications are likely to extend beyond Doom. However, the extent to which online communities will transform the Alarmo into a unique game console may hinge on Nintendo’s response, particularly given their recent focus on copyright enforcement.
