How I Transformed My iPad Into the PC Gaming Device of My Dreams

Play ‘Doom Eternal’ on your iPad and forget all about the real hell that awaits you outside

Photos courtesy of the author.

When the coronavirus started to spread, I bought two things for which I should never escape ridicule: nine packages of Dude Wipes — 432 wipes in all, out of concern that I might never see toilet paper again — and a prebuilt Hewlett-Packard gaming PC.

I didn’t need the computer, but I wanted it. It was a way to create an escape pod for myself: With the world shutting down, I could hide away with my machine and its imaginary places. Doom Eternal, a relentless shooter partially set on an Earth ruined by demonic invaders, was an early favorite.

One year later, we are out of wipes, but the PC is going strong. It also faces stiff competition in the living room. Our TV is often ceded instead to the Real Housewives franchise — if Doom deserves a 4K screen, you better believe Erika Jayne does, too — and I often spend my evenings brainlessly prodding at a mobile device while the drama unfolds. Inevitably I find myself on Twitter, Insta, or TikTok, which divert my attention with no hope for resolution. The feeds simply go on and on.

I needed a way to game on my PC without monopolizing the TV.

Sometimes you need to submerge yourself in those numbing algos, but when you’re feeling slightly sharper, video games can be superior pandemic entertainment. They offer progression. You complete stages, your character levels up, whatever: With the world at a standstill because of pandemic shutdowns, a game can feel like one of few reliable ways to experience accomplishment. (Homemade bread is another favorite.) I realized this and decided I needed a way to game on my PC without monopolizing the TV.

Do You Really Need Another Computer Monitor?

I found a solution in Moonlight. It’s a simple open-source streaming service that morphs my iPad into a perfect gaming laptop. Using Moonlight, I can use my iPad to…