In the realm of homegrown gaming technology, Russia faces a fork in the road: one path leads to innovation with limited resources, while the other ventures into creating a product reminiscent of a Chinese replica, losing its unique identity. Earlier this year, Putin mandated the creation of a Russian gaming console, prompting the country’s industry to explore both avenues. On one hand, there’s talk of developing a console powered by the Elbrus processor, a homegrown dual-core chip. According to Habr.com, this chip features a Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) microarchitecture, initially intended for heavy, crucial tasks. On the other hand, as reported by RBC, there’s a move toward establishing a cloud gaming service using budget-friendly hardware but still claiming the “sovereign” label.
While the Elbrus processor might sound impressive in theory, it doesn’t exactly compete with the big players when it comes to performance. In tests, it’s been deemed “completely unacceptable” for most modern requirements. Hence, expectations for this new console don’t include matching the power of giants like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S. This realization has led Russian leaders to encourage the development of an out-of-the-box solution to tackle these performance issues.
Anton Gorelkin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, recently expressed, “I hope my colleagues approach this mission with utmost dedication and come up with something truly revolutionary. We’re all aware that Elbrus processors haven’t yet reached the level needed to stand toe-to-toe with the PS5 and Xbox. So, we’ll need an unconventional approach.” Such an approach might mean simplifying games to run on the Elbrus CPUs, though this could deter Russian gamers familiar with high-caliber global titles. Alternatively, utilizing cloud rendering could be a path forward, provided gamers can access seamless, low-latency broadband connections.
Gorelkin also highlighted the importance of the console not merely being a machine for old game ports but also a tool to elevate and introduce native video games to a wider audience.
Switching gears to cloud gaming, telecommunications giant MTS has rolled out its own creation. Known as the MTS Fog Play platform, this console is unabashedly cloud-based. It pairs low-tier hardware with a controller reminiscent of the Xbox, all for around $50. At this price, it’s impossible to expect the device to handle even the most basic Android games natively. Instead, it leans heavily on MTS’s Fog Play cloud service, designed to support both remote and rented gaming experiences. This model allows gamers with powerful PCs to enjoy MTS’s game offerings without departing from their existing hardware.
Neither of these Russian gaming devices has hit the market yet, but rest assured, we’ll be monitoring developments closely and reporting on how they perform once they launch.
