Footage of the recently expanded speedrunning platformer remasterSonic X Shadow Generationshas appeared on Twitter/X. So far, so ordinary, but the highlighted clip shows the game being directly controlled by a TI-84 Plus CE graphing calculator, complete with a 2 FPS on-device video stream. This 2-minute footage, shared partially in the original Tweet by @DomDaTurtl, is actually 6 minutes as uploaded in full to @DomDaTurtl’s YouTube channel, @Barcadepod, and encompasses the first two acts of Space Colony Ark, the opening stage ofSonic X Shadow Generationswhich doubles as an HD remix of the Ark stages from 2001’sSonic Adventure2, Shadow’s first game.
Despite the obviously-hampered playability, @DomDaTurtl still managed to secure A ranks in both acts of Space Colony Ark, which is a rank below the maximum S rank recognized by the game, but very impressive considering the hardware setup.
Of course, the savvy among you are probably asking by now: how is this possible? Is it evenreal? The answer to both of these questions isCalc2KeyCE, a pre-existing open-source application that allows users of the TI-84 Plus CE calculator to send keyboard input and receive video streams from a wired PC. So, yes, it is possible!
That said, this is hardly an optimal gaming experience. Trying to play purely off the calculator screen would be impossible, though the input lag through the calculator seemed acceptable enough for playing the game on the PC’s monitor. Key bindings were a point of confusion even while @DomDaTurtl was playing through the Ark stages, though — likely especially confusing if he was originally playing on a controller like most platforming gamers prefer.
However, this feat remains a fascinating proof of concept! For truly slow-paced games, like classic text adventures or point-and-click adventure games, a setup like this could become almost practical.
Now, we should still tell you that the bestnativehandheld gaming experiences available today will be garnered from the properBest PC Gaming Handhelds,not a TI-84 Plus CE. And yes, Steam Deck can not only playSonic X Shadow Generations, complete with Shadow’s new Doom Powers — it can even play the actualDoomseries up toDoom Eternalat low settings, 30 FPS with ray tracing enabled. 60 FPS is on the table without RT, too!
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Christopher Harper has been a successful freelance tech writer specializing in PC hardware and gaming since 2015, and ghostwrote for various B2B clients in High School before that. Outside of work, Christopher is best known to friends and rivals as an active competitive player in various eSports (particularly fighting games and arena shooters) and a purveyor of music ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Killer Mike to the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack.
