Russia is taking bold steps to develop its own gaming consoles and platforms, aiming to reduce its dependence on foreign technology amidst ongoing international sanctions. Spearheaded by President Vladimir Putin, the initiative also includes the creation of domestic operating systems and cloud-based gaming services, marking a significant move towards self-reliance in the tech industry.
Elbrus Processors at the Core
At the heart of Russia’s new gaming consoles lies the Elbrus processor, developed by the Moscow Center of SPARC Technologies (MCST). Initially designed for sensitive applications such as defense and critical infrastructure, the Elbrus chip is built on Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) architecture. Despite its strength in specialized tasks, the processor has faced criticism for its underperformance in consumer-facing applications, such as gaming.
While it’s not on par with industry-standard processors like those from Intel, AMD, or Arm, Russia’s push to use Elbrus for gaming consoles highlights a broader ambition to boost domestic production and capabilities. However, performance tests show that Elbrus struggles to handle modern gaming demands, putting Russian developers in a difficult position.
Unconventional Solutions Sought
Russian officials are realistic about the limitations of Elbrus processors. Anton Gorelkin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, acknowledged that Elbrus would not match the power of PlayStation or Xbox consoles. Instead, he urged developers to explore innovative alternatives, emphasizing the need for creative solutions to overcome these performance challenges.
One potential approach is simplifying games to work within the processing limits of Elbrus. However, this risks alienating a gaming audience accustomed to high-quality visuals and complex gameplay. Another option is leveraging cloud-based gaming, which could offer a solution by offloading the heavy computational tasks to more powerful remote servers. Yet, this approach hinges on a stable and fast internet infrastructure, which is not always reliable across Russia.
MTS Enters the Market with Cloud Gaming
Telecommunications company MTS is also working on its own console as part of the initiative. Unlike traditional consoles, MTS’s device utilizes the company’s Fog Play cloud gaming platform. The console itself is a low-cost device priced around $50 and comes with an Xbox-style controller. It relies on cloud rendering to deliver gaming experiences, making it an affordable alternative for users without high-end gaming hardware.
Fog Play allows users with powerful PCs to rent out their computing power to others, enabling those with less powerful devices to access high-quality games via the cloud. However, this model requires users to have fast and reliable internet, which may limit its accessibility for many potential customers.
A Platform for Russian Games
One of the key goals of Russia’s new gaming consoles is to foster the growth of domestic video games. While international gaming giants like Sony and Microsoft dominate the global market, Russia wants to use its consoles as platforms to showcase homegrown content. The Russian government sees this as an opportunity to create a unique ecosystem for local developers and offer a space for Russian-made games to thrive.
By creating a more focused and supportive environment for domestic games, the government hopes to boost local talent and encourage innovation. Developers will have a dedicated platform to showcase their work, which could help grow the industry and attract a local gaming audience.
Despite its ambitious goals, the Russian gaming console project faces significant challenges. The limitations of the Elbrus processor are a major hurdle, especially as the gaming world continues to demand more powerful hardware. Additionally, the reliance on cloud gaming platforms introduces the challenge of internet infrastructure, which may not be up to the task in many parts of Russia.
