Russia's Gaming Consoles: A New Tale of Homegrown Tech

Let's take a look at what's happening in the world of Russian gaming tech. The country is working on creating its own game consoles, but it seems they might not be collectors' items just yet. One of these devices uses the Elbrus processor, which isn't exactly a powerhouse like the CPUs from Intel or AMD. It's more about keeping things domestic and secure for critical sectors. The Elbrus processor is made by the Moscow Center of SPARC Technologies (MCST). It's based on a unique architecture called VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word), and it's good enough for government and enterprise use. But when it comes to gaming, it's not quite ready to challenge the likes of the PS5 or Xbox Series. There's also a cloud-based gaming console in the works, thanks to a telecom company called MTS. This one will use a service called Fog Play, which lets people with powerful PCs rent out their processing power to those with less capable machines. The cool thing about this is that it's sort of like a gaming power sharing program. The Russian government is aware that these consoles might not be on par with the current-gen machines. But they're hoping developers will think outside the box and make something truly innovative. The goal isn't just to play old games, but to promote homegrown video games. Imagine this: a gaming console that costs around $45 and comes with a controller. It might not be a dream machine for hardcore gamers, but it's an interesting step in the right direction for domestic tech.