Regarding sovereign computing, it either fails due to insufficient resources, or it takes the route of a Chinese imitation and loses its sovereign aspect. Following Putin’s directive for the government to create a Russian gaming console in the spring, the Russian sector has opted for both pathways. One involves the creation of a sovereign console built around a dual-core indigenous Elbrus processor, Habr.com reports; the other consists of establishing a cloud gaming service using inexpensive consumer hardware and branding it as sovereign, according to a report by RBC.
Russia is conceptualizing a gaming console founded on its Elbrus processor, which employs a Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) microarchitecture primarily designed for intensive, mission-critical tasks. In terms of performance, Elbrus does not impress, as benchmarks have largely deemed it “entirely inadequate” for various tasks.
The forthcoming console is not anticipated to possess performance levels that rival the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S, prompting Russian lawmakers to request developers to devise something innovative to tackle performance hurdles.
“I hope my colleagues approach this challenge with utmost seriousness and emerge with something genuinely pioneering,” remarked Anton Gorelkin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy. “It is clear to everyone: Elbrus processors have yet to reach the levels necessary to compete directly with the PS5 and Xbox, implying that the solution must be unconventional.”
This unconventional method might entail either simplifying games to a level manageable by Elbrus CPUs (which the Russian audience, still having access to high-quality games, would likely not engage with) or utilizing cloud rendering and computing, requiring gamers to have optimal broadband with minimal latency to enjoy their games.
Interestingly, Gorelkin stressed that the console should not simply act as a venue for porting classic games, but should also aim to promote domestic video games.
Having discussed cloud gaming, we will shift our attention to a game console under development by MTS, a notable Russian telecom firm. MTS openly acknowledges its console as a cloud-driven gaming service, although the company refers to it as the MTS Fog Play platform.
The device utilizes low-spec hardware, features an Xbox-like controller, and is priced at approximately $50. Since it is unfeasible to produce a console capable of running even basic Android games for $50, the device will depend on the MTS’s Fog Play cloud service. This service will facilitate both remote gaming and the rental model (whereby owners of high-end PCs interested in MTS’s games can rent titles while using their equipment).
Neither of these consoles has been introduced to the market yet, but we will remain vigilant for benchmarks once they do.