History of video games/Print version/Ninth Generation of Video Game Consoles

Ninth generation of video game consoles

In ninth generation of videogame consoles, introducing the new consoles "PlayStation 5" and "Xbox Series X".

Trends

Audio Video improvements

This generation saw the debut of hardware raytracing support on major home consoles. Major home consoles also offered 3D audio support.

History

Development

32Blit is an open source SDK for embedded devices. It started as a hardware project by Pimoroni and was funded on Kickstarter. On May 20, 2019, the price of the console was 90 Great British Pounds.

Beta Launch

Beta consoles were shipped by December 23, 2019.

As of October 6th, 2021 the system was still in development.

Legacy & Influence

Tom's Hardware noted a possible influence of the 32Blit on Pimoroni's newer Pimoroni PicoSystem platform, which uses the 32Blit SDK along with CircuitPython.

Hardware

Compute

The 32Blit is powered by a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M7 architecture processor clocked at 400 megahertz.

Storage

After initially planning to exclude expandable storage from production units, a microSD card reader was kept to aid expandability.

Display

The system has a 3.5 inch screen.

External Resources

• 32blit.com

References

• 

History

Atari VCS logotype.

Development

The Ataribox was announced in June 2017.

The Ataribox was renamed to the Atari VCS in March 2019.

The new Atari VCS lead architect Rob Wyatt quit the project in 2019, claiming that invoices had not been paid for the six months leading up to his leaving.

The system was demonstrated at CES in January 2020. A March 2020 launch date for the VCS was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Launch

The VCS began shipping to crowdfunding backers in December 2020.

Technology

Compute

The 2020 VCS uses an AMD Raven Ridge 2 Ryzan R1606G APU. The system shipped with either 4 or 8 gigabytes of DDR4 RAM, and could be upgraded by the user to use up to 32 gigabytes of RAM. The system shipped with 32 gigabytes of eMMC flash storage, and contained an M.2 slot. 7 gigabytes of this storage was open for user use at launch. On early systems this slot is hard to access due to use of excess adhesive.

The VCS runs a modified version of Debian Linux called AtariOS. The Chrome browser is used by the system for running web applications.

Hardware

The system contains a number of communication subsystems. Radios are included for Bluetooth 4.0, as well as dual band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n. The system also has a Gigabit ethernet port for wired network connections.

The system has 4 USB 3.1 ports, distributed evenly between the front and back.

Gallery

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External Resources

• Atari VCS - Official website.

History

Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. Anheuser-Busch, the makers of the BL6 is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Launch

Announced by the Bud-Light brand of Anheuser-Busch on November 17th, 2020, a single BL6 console was put up for auction to raise money for the Change is On the Menu charity program. According to some reviewers, a small number of BL6 exist instead of just a single console.

Legacy

A Bud Light truck in 2014. The BL6 was made as part of a charitable marketing promotion for the drink in 2020.

Despite the limited production of the device, the console possess a number of unique properties that make it notable in gaming history. While the BL6 essentially exists as a charitable marketing stunt, the BL6 used a number of technologies rarely seen in game consoles. In particular, it is one of the few consoles to primarily use a projector, similar to the 1980's consoles such as the Proscreen. Furthermore the console incorporates a drink holder that regulates temperature, similar to the chicken chamber of the later KFConsole.

Technology

Compute

The BL6 is powered by a Intel Core i7-1065G7. The i7-1065G7 is a 64 bit mobile processor with four cores and eight threads with eight megabytes of cache and made on a 10 nanometer process with a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 watts. By default the processor is clocked at 1.30 gigahertz and turbos to 3.90 gigahertz, but it is unknown what clock speed the processor in the BL6 is configured to typically use.

The Intel Core i7-1065G7 includes an Intel Iris Plus Graphics GPU with a base clock of 300 megahertz and can turbo boost to a clock of 1.10 gigahertz.

The BL6 has 16 gigabytes of RAM.

Hardware

The primary display is a built in Asus ZenBeam projector, which projects a 720p resolution 500 lumen image.

For cooling internals, two fans are concealed in false cans in the six pack design of the console.

The console has twin aluminum beer coozies built into the unit with active peltier thermoelectric cooling and polystyrene insulation to keep beer cold.

The BL6 battery can power the system for two hours.

Buttons on the bottom rim of the console include power, +, -, and brightness. The BL6 appears to have HDMI out, two USB ports, and a power in jack that takes a C7/C8 coupler.

All hardware is enclosed in the form factor of a six pack of beer. Ventilation holes are arranged in groups of two wide and three high like a six pack. The chassis of the console was 3D printed.

Software

The BL6 runs Windows 10 as its operating system, with the custom BL(OS) or BLOS interface running on top of it.

Controllers

The BL6 sports two BL6 branded 8Bitdo N30 Pro+ controllers, which two compartments on the console can hold when not in use.

Game library

Four third party games were shipped with the BL6, and two exclusive games were developed for the system.

• Tekken 7
• R.B.I. Baseball 20
• Soul Calibur VI
• BroForce

Flashlight Freeze Tag

A BL6 exclusive game about hitting other players with the BL6 projector beam.

Six Puck

An BL6 exclusive air hockey game themed around Bud Light.

References

• 
  A render of the Pyra.

History

Development

Ingolstadt, Germany - The location where OpenPandora GmbH is based.

Following the release of the OpenPandora console, a member of the Pandora development team began developing a spiritual successor console in 2014. During development, several processors were considered, including those from Qualcomm and Intel.

Preorders for the Pyra began in 2016. Pre-orders cost 500 euros or US$580. At least 700 preorders were placed by May 3, 2016, allowing production to be funded.

Pre-Production prototypes were shipped in late 2019. By 2020 hardware development was finalized, and development efforts began to focus on finalizing software.

An art book containing 48 pages and chronicling the development of the console was made to be included with shipped units.

On December 24, 2020 photos of subassemblies were shared.

Technology

A prototype Pyra unit in 2016.

Technology choices are typically driven by performance, cost, or portability in most handheld consoles. The Pyra bucks that trend, making choices that emphasize upgradability, maintainability, and compatibility with an open source ecosystem. Thus while the Pyra had underwhelming performance for the time it was announced, it had other qualities not found in competing handhelds which were desirable to the niche audience it was marketed to.

Compute

The Pyra is powered by a Texas Instruments OMAP 5 SoC containing two ARM Cortex A-15 cores clocked at 1.5 gigahertz, two ARM Cortex M4 cores, a PowerVR SGX544-MP2 3D GPU, and a Vivante GC320 2D graphics accelerator.

Depending on the unit, a Pyra either has two gigabytes of RAM or four gigabytes of RAM. All Pyras have 32 gigabytes of eMMC, an internal microSD card slot, and two external SD card slots.

Hardware

The mainboard, CPU board, and display board are all fitted in modules for easy replacement or upgrades. This makes the Pyra relatively unique among consoles, as few home consoles offer such modularity, and among handheld game consoles this is nearly unheard of.

The Pyra uses a 5" LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 1280 pixels by 720 pixels. The touchscreen is resistive, allowing for use through gloves and other non conductive surfaces, though lacking the finger oriented optimizations of capacitive touchscreens.

The system contains a vibration motor, gyroscope and an accelerometer.

The Pyra uses a 6000 mAh battery.

Radios include 2.6 gigahertz and 5 gigahertz WiFi a/b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.1. An optional 3G/4G/UMTS + GPS module is included on some units, allowing for the system to make use of mobile data and make use of the global positioning system for location information.

Notable games

As of 2020 the Game category of the DBP (DragonBox Pyra) repository had 19 entries.

Gallery

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  Exploded render of Pyra components.
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  Unpopulated prototype mainboard.
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  Populated prototype mainboard.
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  Populated prototype mainboard.
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  Prototype mainboard top.
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  Nubs on prototype Mainboard.
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  Ports on prototype Mainboard.
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  Prototype Mainboard side view.
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  Prototype CPU board
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  Pyra prototype, showing backlit keyboard.
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  Pyra prototype, showing backlit keyboard.
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  Pyra prototype, showing backlit keyboard.
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  Pyra prototype, showing battery.
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  Pyra prototype, showing keyboard with MicroSD card for comparison.
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  Pyra prototype, showing direction pad and circle pad.
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  Pyra prototype in operation.
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  Pyra prototype, browsing the web.
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  Pyra prototype, showing keyboard without backlighting on.
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  Pyra prototype, showing keyboard with backlighting on.
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  Pyra prototype, showing circle pads.
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  Pyra prototype, showing rear IO.
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  Pyra prototype, showing SIM and MicroSD combo slot.
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  Pandora handheld next to a Pyra prototype.
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  Pyra logotype.

External Resources

• Pyra website

References

• 

History

The feeling of opening a cart box and slotting their cart inside the console should offer nostalgia.

—Andrew Byatt, Evercade lead at Blaze, Budget Nostalgia Interview

The Evercade was released on May 22nd, 2020. The cost of the system was $79.99 with cartridges costing $19.99. The system notably forgoes some contemporary features like networking and a touchscreen, and adopts older ones such as cartridges to recreate a retro handheld experience. Unlike many other retro handhelds, which simply accept cartridges for the original system, the Evercade takes it's own 30 pin cartridges.

Technology

An ARM Cortex A7 quad core CPU clocked at 1.2 gigahertz powers the Evercade.

The Evercade has a 4.3" screen with a resolution of 480 pixels by 272. The handheld can output to external displays over mini HDMI with a resolution of 720p, though games run in 4:3 aspect ratio by default.

The Evercade has a battery with a capacity of 2,000 mAh, lasting about 4 to 5 hours of use.

The Evercade runs a Linux based operating system. The firmware of the console can be updated.

Games

Games for the Evercade are typically re-releases of classic games and come on cartridges.

Gallery

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  Evercade logotype.
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  Evercade logotype in color.
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  Evercade VS logotype.
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  Evercade handheld logotype.
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References

• 
  The Game & Watch Super Mario Bros. handheld

History

Development

While Nintendo had previously modernized the Game & Watch line of handhelds as the Nintendo Mini Classics, the Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. sought to replicate the original form factor of a game and watch unit, while adding modern technology underneath.

The system was announced on September 3rd, 2020 as part of a series of events revolving around the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. Preorders in the United States were held up to await FCC authorization.

Launch

The Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. was launched on November 13th, 2020 with low stocks following the launch.

Sales of the console are expected to end on March 31st, 2021.

Technology

The system is relatively small.

Compute

The Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. is powered by a STM32H7B0VBT6 SOC with an ARM Cortex M7 processor.

The system has 1024 kilobytes (1 megabyte) of RAM.

Hardware

The system has 128 kilobytes of flash storage.

The system has a 3.7V lithium ion battery with a capacity of 525mAh, as well as a USB type C port.

Software

The system contains an NES Emulator, as well as a ROM of Super Mario Bros. for the NES.

True to it's name, the Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. has a built in clock function.A bug causes the Mario Drawing song in the clock app to display the incorrect lyrics when the language is set to French, Italian, German, or Spanish.

Game Library

The Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. features Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros the Lost Levels, and a Mario themed version of Ball.

Homebrew developers have expanded the library of the console somewhat, such as the release of a port of the first person shooter Doom on November 22nd, 2020.

Gallery

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  A system next to packaging.
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  The system has a screen with a slightly protruded screen.
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  A USB type C port is located on the right side of the unit.
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  The Game & Watch Super Mario Bros. compared with a Game & Watch Parachute console
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  The system uses an L shaped printed circuit board with a green solder mask. This circuit board is labeled as an HXA-MAIN-01. A data matrix two dimensional code is present in the upper left. The USB C port can be seen on the left hand side, as the board is upside down. The STM32H7B0 processor can be seen on the bottom of the board.

History

Development

The Game Gear Micro was developed to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Game Gear and the 60th anniversary of Sega.

Launch

The Game Gear Micro was launched on October 6th, 2020 only in Japan with a cost of 4,980 yen per handheld.

Technology

Compute

The Game Gear Micro is powered by an Allwinner F1C200s system on a chip with an ARM9 CPU clocked at 600 megahertz.

The Game Gear Micro has 64 megabytes of DDR1 RAM.

Hardware

The Game Gear Micro has 128 megabytes of flash storage.

The Game Gear Micro has a 1.15 inch color LCD with a resolution of 240 by 180 pixels.

The Game Gear Micro is powered by twin AAA size batteries.

Orders of all models of Game Gear Micro at once included the Big Window accessory.

Software

The Game Gear Micro runs an operating system based on version 3.10.05 of the Linux Kernel.

The Game Gear Micro uses some open source software, and runs Game Gear games through emulation. Hardware improvements needed to be accounted for, as accurate emulation of Game Gear alone would show graphical issues hidden by the original Game Gear's poor screen quality.

Game library

There are four different colors of Game Gear Micro, each with four separate games pre installed.

References

A render of the Amico.

History

Background

After the original Intellivision, the brand was dormant for some time, at most seeing compilation consoles released.

Development

A new system bearing the name of Intellivision was announced in 2018. The Intellivision Amico was scheduled for a October 2020 release with a launch price of $250, but the launch was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September of 2020 it was announced that Ark Electronics would handle manufacturing of the Amico.

The company making the system partnered with GameStop to do physical marketing in stores in 2021.

A third delay for the Intellivision Amico was announced on August 7th, 2021.

By January 2022 it was estimated that there were around 6,000 orders for the system.

In February 2022 Phil Adam became CEO of Intelivision Entertainment.

Around early April 2022 Gamestop preorders of the Amico were purported to have been canceled.

In July 2022 it was stated that the console was still in development.

Technology

The Intellivision Amico Controller.

Compute

The Intellivision Amico has an unspecified Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 core CPU clocked at 1.8 gigahertz. Developer documentation indicated the Amico CPU was similar to the model APQ8053-Lite of Qualcomm's Smart Display 200 platform. Given the focus on simplistic, easy to pick up, games, technical specifications were less emphasized then on other major consoles of the era, allowing resources to be focused in more impactful areas.

The Amico has 2 gigabytes of RAM, and 32 gigabytes of flash storage.

Software

The Intellivision Amico runs an operating system described as a hybrid of Android and Linux.

Most Amico games are made with the Unity game engine.

Notable games

The Amico contains a few games bundled, and has a digital marketplace. Most games for the Amico are designed for couch co-op and all games for the Amico are rated E or E10. (Presumed to be under the ESRB rating system.)

Earthworm Jim 4

Read more about Earthworm Jim 4 on Wikipedia.

Models

Standard

• "Glacier White"
• "Graphite Black"
• "GTO Red"
• "Vintage Woodgrain" - Intellivision website shop exclusive finish.
• "Galaxy Purple" - GameStop Exclusive color

Special Editions

Founders Edition

2600 preorders of the wood grained Intellivision Amico Founders Edition consoles were made avalible.

External Resources

• Official Website

References

Louisville, Kentucky where the American arm of KFC is based.

History

Development

While the system primarily exists as a KFC marketing stunt, the design and manufacturing of the system was done by the computer component company Coolermaster in collaboration with the Swedish modder known as Timpelay.

Pre-Launch

The console was announced by press release on June 12, 2020, and was originally supposed to launch on November 12, 2020 in line with other 9th generation home console launches. Press release statements containing obviously fake jargon such as "Zinger processor chip clocked at 11GHZ" lead some to question if hardware would actually be made. However the development team continued quietly working on the console while aware of the skepticism.

To ride the publicity of the high-profile delays of the game Cyberpunk 2077, the KFC console was also delayed to December 11, 2020 with an announcement reminiscent of the style used by announcements of the games delays. After being delayed again, on December 23, 2020 real hardware was shown with more concrete details about it's specifications. Fall Guys, perhaps jokingly, was teased as a launch title.

In July 2021 the console was criticized by the National Obesity Form of the United Kingdom.

Technology

The console is said to be based on an Intel NUC 9 extreme compute element, though it is unclear which model was chosen. The system ships with an graphics card made by Asus, which is upgradable and said to be hot swappable. Out of the box graphics capabilities include ray tracing, VR headset support, 4K output, and up to 240 Hz refresh rate output. The console uses dual 1 terabyte PCIe NVME Seagate BarraCuda solid state drives for storage. Unusually for a console with such a small market, these specifications are relatively in line with other consoles of the ninth generation.

Uniquely, the system reuses heat generated by compute elements to keep chicken warm in a specialized chamber. Most game consoles treat generated heat as a waste to be expelled, making the KFConsole one of the only consoles to intentionally retain heat. Interestingly, another marketing focused console released around the same time as the KFConsole, the BL6, also had unconventional heat management to enhance snacking while gaming, though this was to cool beverages rather than heat food, and used thermoelectric cooling technology to transfer heat away from beverages to achieve this rather than reusing waste heat generated by the console.

History

The system was announced by March 30th, 2019. By April 15th, 2019 the system had launched. The system cost between $34.90 and $39.90 at launch, depending on the retailer. At launch much of the documentation was written in the Chinese language.

Technology

The Kittenbot MeowBit uses a STM32F401RET6 microcontroller, containing an ARM Cortex M4 architecture processor. The system has 2 megabytes of SPI Flash storage. The system also has an SD card reader.

The console uses a 1.8" color TFT LCD with a resolution of 160 by 128 pixels. A simple buzzer is used for audio.

The system uses a MP6050 gyroscope for motion controls. The system also has a light sensor and a temperature sensor.

The system is powered by a 3.3 volt 500 milliamp hour capacity lithium chemistry battery.

The console is clad in casing made of silicone in either orange or baby blue colors. Notably the bottom of the console contains a BBC Micro:bit connector for expansion.

History

The LaserCube is a multifunction laser projector which was released around 2019 for about $499. Among the primary functions of the device was gaming using true vector graphics, and as a result a number of arcade style games were released for the system. The commercial LaserCube coincided with a small subsection of the DIY movement which focused on making laser based game hardware due to its unique properties.

At some point before January 2021 the 1 watt version of the LaserCube was discontinued due to a lack of demand, leaving only the higher power 2 watt version left.

Technology

Because the LaserCube is a general purpose device which includes gaming as a function, the designers of the LaserCube made a number of technical decisions which are extremely unusual for a console, but reasonable for a general purpose device.

Vector graphics

The LaserCube is distinct in being one of the few consoles to use a vector display exclusively. A class 4 pure laser diode is used to draw RGB graphics. Depending on the model a 1 watt or a 2 watt laser is used to draw graphics. The manufacturer suggests this laser is expected to last between 10,000 to 20,000 hours of use.

Software

The LaserCube runs games in a standard software environment called LaserOS, which is executed on an external Windows PC, Mac, or Android device. An API is used to extend the LaserCube.

Hardware

A fan is used to cool the 2 watt model, as the LaserCube automatically shuts off when temperatures reach or exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

The American version of the LaserCube, of which only a 2 watt version was ever sold, has several utility functions disabled to comply with safety regulations, leaving entertainment as it's only real purpose.

External Resources

• PC Mag - Review including pictures.
• Rerez YouTube Video - Video review focusing on gaming functionality.
• LinusTechTips YouTube Video - Video briefly demonstrating a LaserCube as part of a larger project.

References

Pyongyang in 2018. Pyongyang is the capitol city of North Korea.

History

As early as the year 2000 concerns about using North Korea using games consoles as guidance computers for weapons platforms lead to export restrictions of gaming hardware to North Korea. Additionally there is a high poverty rate in the North Korean general population, as well as a state controlled and censored entertainment industry which has contributed to a rather small video game industry in the country. However by the late 2010's there was high demand for foreign entertainment products in the country, especially by the elite of North Korea.

The Moranbong is perhaps the only game console to see an official release in North Korea. The system caught the attention of gaming media outlets following a press release by a North Korean website on September 9th, 2019. The console is marketed as a way to improve physical fitness through exergaming, which it achieves with motion controls. The North Korean cartoon character Clever Raccoon Dog was apparently used in console promotions.

Due to the closed nature of North Korea, little more is known about the console outside the country. Still the console is historically significant, as it not only is likely the first game console made for the North Korean market, it is also a sign that the North Korean government views video games as an entertainment medium it can use to further its policies, as this console is focused on making the population more fit. Such explicit political involvement in a game console is rare, and provides a fascinating insight to the priorities of the North Korean government.

Technology

The game console uses camera based motion controls, remotes, and a floor mat to allow for exergaming experiences. The game console also doubles as an general multimedia device, and has edutainment software. The Moranbong appears to be a localized version of either the Subor G80, or the Cdragon Cassidy G80 both game consoles from China.

Again, due to the closed nature of North Korea, little more is known about the technology used by the console, or what games it can play.

History

A 2020 photograph of the industrious city of Sheffield in Yorkshire. The PicoSystem is manufactured in this city.

Background

Pimoroni (An acronym standing for Pirate, Monkey, Robot, Ninja) was founded in 2012 as an electronics manufacturer.

Development

Tom's Hardware noted a possible influence from Piromoni's older 32Blit platform.

Announcement

The PicoSystem was announced on January 21st, 2021 at a cost of 58.50 British Pounds, VAT inclusive.

Launch

By October 5th, 2021 systems were being shipped. By October 6th, 2021 systems had been received by customers.

The system was favorably reviewed following launch, though a Tom's Hardware review noted the MakeCode Arcade IDE had yet to support the device at launch.

Technology

Compute

The PicoSystem is derived from the Pimoroni Tiny 2040 developer board, and is thus based around the same RP2040 microcontroller. The RP2040 was announced around the same time as the PicoSystem in 2021 by the Raspberry Pi foundation and is made on a 40nm fabrication process, which was not cutting edge for 2021, but was a mature and reliable process size by this point. It is also important to note that this chip was released amidst a shortage of capacity among chipmakers, which may have limited which foundries were available.

The microcontroller sports a dual core ARM Cortex M0+ CPU clocked at 133 megahertz, with 264 kilobytes of RAM on board. This chip lacks a graphics processing unit (GPU), so the console must use software rendering for games. However the microcontroller does have very powerful input and output support functions which reduce CPU load.

Hardware

The system uses a square 1:1 ratio IPS display with a resolution of 240 pixels by 240 pixels.

A piezo speaker is used for audio.

A rechargeable lipo battery powers the system, with a USB type C port for charging.

Casing

The console casing is adorned with abstract art. The console has a model number of PIM559.

Manufacturing

The system notably used two PCBs, with the 3.2 millimeters (0.13 in) PCB being depth-routed to also hold in buttons.

Pimoroni products are manufactured at a factory located in Sheffield, a city in the United Kingdom. When the Pimoroni PicoSystem was announced, the company was located at 2 Manton Street.

The packaging of the device was notably higher end, as many similar systems were shipped with more spartan packaging.

External Resources

• Pimoroni - Official product page for the PicoSystem.

References

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  The Playdate handheld game console.

History

Portland, Oregon - The city Playdate developer Panic is based out of.

Background

A Printrbot 3D printer of similar make to the one used to produce the prototype Playdate casing, though Panic did not use a hotend cooling fan as shown here.

Playdate developer Panic originally made applications for macOS and iOS and later began publishing games.

Development

The first meetings that would eventually relate to the Playdate date back to 2012. Development on the Playdate started by 2015. Design of the system was originally inspired by the Nintendo Game and Watch. A Playdate prototype featured a crude white 3D printed plastic case made on a Printrbot fused filament fabrication 3D Printer.

Developers Panic and Teenage Engineering met at Moogfest, leading to a system codename of Asheville.

The Playdate was announced on May 16th, 2019.

By August 12th, 2020 there were 250 early units shipped, primarily to developers.

A temporary shut down of a factory in Malaysia caused the first manufacturing run of 20,000 Playdate consoles to be delayed to 2021, with a launch price of $149.

On November 25th, 2020 instructions for a DIY papercraft mock Playdate were released.

On June 4th of 2021 an announcement was made, where the price of the console would be increased to $179 and the number of season one games would be doubled to 24, along with a storage increase to 4 gigabytes from 2.

On June 8th, 2021 the Playdate Stereo dock was unveiled to the public as the first official Playdate accessory.

In July of 2021 early units were sent to journalists.

On August 4th of 2021, a change to the season one schedule was announced.

In late 2021 the CPU used by early development Playdate consoles could no longer be purchased with a lead time of two years due to the chip shortage. Thus on November 11th, 2021 the console was delayed to 2022 so the console could be reworked with a different CPU.

By early April 2022 more complete units were sent to journalists.

Launch

On April 18, 2022 preordered consoles began shipping to customers.

Technology

The technology choices used by the Playdate are unconventional, and trades common features for unique functionality.

Compute

The Playdate uses an ARM based STMicroelectronics 32-bit STM32 F746 processor clocked at 180 megahertz.

The Playdate has 16 megabytes of RAM, among the lowest capacities of notable handhelds for the time.

Initially the Playdate was set to use 2 gigabytes of flash based storage. This capacity was updated to 4 gigabytes before launch.

Hardware

The Playdate has a 2.7" 400 by 240 pixel resolution monochrome Sharp memory LCD for sunlight readability. This display technology precludes color graphics, but allows for a display with a very low power consumption and superior display of monochrome graphics. This display can not be read in the dark as there is no built in backlight or frontlight. The button on the top of the console features a yellow notification LED.

The Playdate has a USB type C port. The USB port of the console can be used both to allow external inputs, and to stream the contents of the screen to an external computer.

Other ports include a headphone jack, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

A crank was chosen as an alternative to the common touchscreen controls. The crank is purely for use as a controller, and does not generate power for the console. The console also features an accelerometer for in game control.

The Playdate featured a model number of PDX-01. Every Playdate console is also a dev kit. The internal PCB color of the Playdate is black.

The system is powered by a Cyber-Power lithium polymer battery, rated at 650mAh and outputting 3.7 volts.

Accessories for the system can be mounted to the back magnetically, and supports charging through this mounting system. A purple flip cover accessory was designed for the system during development.

Playdate hardware was manufactured in Malaysia. This created some contention, as Playdate consoles were not made available for sale to consumers in Malaysia.

Software

The Playdate game launcher UI supports animated game logos at a resolution of 350 pixels by 150 pixels.

Playdate Pulp was designed as a web browser based graphical development environment for the system.

Notable games

b360

A game made by Panic to aid in system testing during development.

Crankin's Time Travel Adventure

Katamary Damacy director Keita Takahashi would play an important role in the development of Crankin's Time Travel Adventure.

A humorous game made by a team which included Keita Takahashi as a designer.

Playmaker

Creative game made by Dustin Mierau.

RNG Party

2D top down platformer with accelerometer based controls.

DOOM

Unofficial port

Klondike Solitaire

Solitaire card game made using the Rust programming language.

Other Games

• Zipper
• Sasquatchers
• Snak
• Executive Golf DX

Gallery

Console

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  The Playdate with the crank stowed for portability.
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  The Playdate with the crank deployed for use in games.
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  The Playdate logo
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  An alternate Playdate logo.

External Resources

• Playdate website
• Panic website

References

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  The PlayStation 5 Blu-Ray model with DualSense controller at the base of the unit.

History

Development

Sony Interactive Entertainment headquarters lit for the PlayStation 5 launch.

The PlayStation 5 followed the older PlayStation 4.

Supply logistics for NAND and DRAM were a key concern to Sony in early February 2020, though they were reportedly more worried more about competition with 5G smartphone manufactures then the still not yet widespread coronavirus outbreaks.

The ease in which they are able to get code running on PlayStation 5 is way beyond any experience they've had on any other PlayStation platform.

—Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Interview with GamesIndustry.biz on November 7th, 2019.

When the cooling system was being designed, smoke from dry ice was pumped through a transparent casing to observe it's effects on temperature.

Launch

The PlayStation 5 logotype.

Two consoles were announced for launch in November of 2020, a $399.99 Digital Edition without an optical drive, and a $499.99 full console with an Ultra HD Blu-Ray drive. At those prices, the PlayStation 5 hardware was sold at a loss. By August 4th, 2021 the PlayStation 5 with an optical drive was no longer sold at a loss, though the cheaper digital edition continued to be sold at a slight loss.

Supplies of consoles were expected to be short on launch day, with only a units that had been preordered being available for pick up. By the end of 2020 4.5 million consoles had been sold. By late January 2021 supplies of the console were still inadequate due in part to issues with scalpers purchasing as much as 10% of all PlayStation 5 consoles sold, but mostly due to severe supply and logistical constraints.

During the Japanese launch retailers to took unusual precautions to meet high demand.

Afterlaunch

In December of 2020 the image of the PS5 on the Wikipedia page garnered some attention due to the inclusion of curtains in the background.

By early 2021 the lack of color variations for the PlayStation 5 created a small market for 3rd party replacement plates in other styles.

A PlayStation 5 VR headset was announced on February 23rd, 2021 with a slated 2022 release date.

By July 2021 10 million PlayStation 5 consoles had been sold.

In September 2021 it was announced that expanded support for free cross gen upgrades for first party games would be discontinued.

In early November 2021, two separate groups announced flaws in the security of the PlayStation 5, potentially allowing for a vibrant homebrew scene to emerge.

Technology

The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition.

Compute

Die of the PlayStation 5 APU.

The PS5 uses an 8 core, 16 thread AMD Ryzen Zen 2 CPU clocked at up to 3.5 gigahertz. The AMD based GPU is capable of Ray-Tracing and has a variable frequency, typically clocked at 2.23 gigahertz with a performance of 10.3 teraflops.

The PS5 has 16 gigabytes of GDDR6 RAM with 448GB/s bandwidth.

Storage

A 825GB Solid State Drive is used in the PS5, with 5.5GB/s bandwidth during reads. An M.2 expansion bay exists for upgradable storage. Sony manufactured aftermarket storage drives.

An UltraHD Blu Ray drive is included on some systems, with a maximum disk capacity of 100GB.

Software

The PlayStation 5 includes a web browser which is not meant to be user accessible.

Cooling

The heatsink used on the Playstation 5 is very large. Liquid Metal is used as a thermal compound. Different fans were used in some consoles.

A change to a smaller heatsink was controversial, but ultimately appeared to either not to signficantly affect performance or to slightly improve it.

In 2020 Sony announced that the 120mm PS5 cooling fan was controllable by software, and would be updated for optimal performance.

Controller

The DualSense controller contains adaptive variable triggers for force feedback.

The DualSense controller is coated with a microtexture composed of 40,000 PlayStation symbols.

Drift is a common issue with the DualSense controller due to a possible defect.

The Dualsense controller sports updatable firmware. By late December 2020 Sony released an official driver for the controller on Linux.

Other

The system uses an HDMI 2.1 port.

Optional accessories

The PlayStation 5 HD camera records 1080p video using dual internal wide angle cameras. The camera is integrated with an adjustable position stand.

The PlayStation 5 media remote includes a microphone and is powered by two AA batteries.

Games

2020

Astro's Playroom

Pre-downloaded game included on all launch era PlayStation 5 consoles.

Read more about Astro's Playroom on Wikipedia.

Demon's Souls

2020 remake of the original.

Read more about Demon's Souls on Wikipedia.

2021

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Read more about Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on Wikipedia.

Returnal

Read more about Returnal on Wikipedia.

Destruction AllStars

Read more about Destruction AllStars on Wikipedia.

2022

Ghostwire: Tokyo

Read more about Ghostwire: Tokyo on Wikipedia.

2023

Final Fantasy XVI

Read more about Final Fantasy XVI on Wikipedia.

Spider Man 2

Read more about Spider-Man 2 on Wikipedia.

Gallery

End-User

• 
  The Dualsense controller
• 
  The PlayStation 5 in a Japanese electronics store in 2020.
• 
  A PlayStation 5 display in a Japanese electronics store in 2020.

Technology

• 
  The AMD Zen2 APU used on the PlayStation 5, with liquid metal still present.
• 
  Top down view of the AMD Zen2 APU used on the PlayStation 5, with liquid metal removed.
• 
  Die shot of the AMD Zen2 APU used on the PlayStation 5.
• 
  Die art on the AMD Zen2 APU used on the PlayStation 5.
• 
  PlayStation 5 APU CCX.
• 
  A Zen 2 FPU as seen on a PlayStation 5 APU.
• 
  A Zen 2 FPU as seen on a PC/Desktop APU.
• 
  Die shot of the CXD90062GG, the SSD Controller used by the PlayStation 5.
• 
  Color, Greyscale, and SWIR shots of the PlayStation 5 motherboard processor side.
• 
  Color, Greyscale, and SWIR shots of the PlayStation 5 motherboard alternate side.
• 
  Annotated motherboard shot.
• 
  Annotated motherboard shot.

External Resources

• PlayStation website

History

Shanghai skyline in 2017.

Subor of Guangdong had been a notable producer of computers as clone game consoles in the Chinese market between 1987 and 1995 where it commanded as much as 80% of the home game console market, which it helped to establish in the country. The brand was acquired by Yihua Group, also of Guangdong, in 2010.

The system was announced by August 5th, 2018 by a subsidiary company in Shanghai. The system was meant for specifically for the Chinese market.

The team developing the console was disbanded by May 16, 2019 due to financial holdups and the impending launch. There was some confusion caused by the folding of a company with the same name around the time of the console cancellation, leading to many in China to reminisce about the company that introduced them to gaming back in the 1990's. The Subor company itself continued to operate after the console team was dissolved.

Technology

The system was based on an X86_64 PC architecture, though with non-standard parts. The system used a custom AMD System on a Chip combining a AMD Ryzen CPU (Model DG02SRTBP4MFA) with a AMD 15FF Vega GPU. The CPU contains 4 cores with 8 threads, and can turbo clock to 3.0 gigahertz. The GPU contains 24 compute units clocked at 1300 megahertz and is capable of 3.99 teraflops.

The console had 8 gigabytes of GDDR5 capable of 256 gigabits per second of bandwidth, which was shared between compute and graphics.

The system used twin installs of Windows 10 Enterprise IoT for either a PC gaming or console gaming experience.

Introduction

In the 2010s in car entertainment systems had a reputation for using poorly thought out designs in conjunction with sluggish software, with the design used on Tesla automobiles being somewhat better received then most of its competitors. To extend the potential of this system to include gaming as a function is an obvious progression. The Tesla Arcade was not the first attempt by an automaker to integrate a gaming system into a automobile, but it was one of the earliest serious attempts to offer an integrated game platform onboard the vehicle.

History

Elon Musk in 2018.

Gaming in automobiles has traditionally consisted of either simply using a portable system, or hooking up a separate dedicated console to an in car entertainment system through simple AV jacks.

On June 18th, 2019 Tesla launched the Tesla Arcade gaming service for its electric automobiles through a software update, using the existing steering wheel, infotainment screen, and compute resources of the car to create an impromptu game console out of existing hardware.

On January 27th, 2021 it was announced that the refreshed Model S would have a compute upgrade to allow play of more intensive games.

A Summer 2021 an update allowing for games to be played while the automobile is in motion later attracted the attention of news outlets and regulators.

In February of 2022 it was indicated that compatibility with Valve's Steam gaming service was a goal.

Technology

The 2021 refreshed Model S has a compute performance of about 10 teraflops.

Games

• The Witcher 3
• Cuphead

Gallery

• 
  The interior of the Model 3.
• 
  A Tesla Model 3.

The Tesla Logotype

References

• 
  An Xbox Series X with controller.
• 
  An Xbox Series S with controller.

History

Development

Building 92 in 2016 at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond, Washington.

Rumors of Project Scarlett began to surface in June of 2018, which predicted a console launch in 2020. On December 12, 2019 the design for the Xbox Series X was revealed in a video which features recordings of philosopher Alan Watts.

In September of 2020 just prior to launch, Microsoft purchases Zenimax Media which gives them ownership of a number of Bethesda and iD software game franchises including Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls. This acquisition was done to bolster the Game Pass program.

Early Reactions

The name of the system lead to widespread confusion and a number of jokes, including by internal social media. The English abbreviation and the Japanese pronunciation of the Xbox Series X both contained innuendos, leading to additional mockery.

Many internet commentators noting the design of the Series X resembles a refrigerator. In response, in late October 2020 a special edition six foot tall refrigerator themed after the Xbox Series X was revealed.

Launch

An Xbox Wireless controller in Shock Blue.

Two consoles were announced for launch on November 10th, 2020, the $299 digital only Series S, and the $499 Series X. Within a day the Xbox Series X and Series X broke first day sales records for Xbox consoles. Supply issues would continue to plague the console through January 2021.

On January 22nd, 2021 Microsoft announced a price increase for Xbox Live for the first time in nearly a decade. Facing a large backlash, Microsoft reversed their decision to increase the price by January 23rd, 2021, though they did continue to make free to play games not require a subscription for online play.

In early 2021 Microsoft improved it's accessibility program for the Xbox Series, helping game developers confirm their games are playable by those with handicaps.

From launch to the release of a March 2021 patch, controllers for the system had issues maintaining connections with the console. An official wireless headset was also released in March 2021.

In 2021 a promotion with Krispy Kreme in the UK and Ireland was announced, creating an Xbox themed doughnut for the 20th anniversary of Xbox.

The Xbox Series line did notably better in Japan then the prior Xbox One line.

Expansion

“	Xbox has lost the console wars, and its rivals are positioned to continue to dominate, including by leveraging exclusive content.	”
—2023 Microsoft Document, The Verge

Technology

Series X

Compute

The Xbox Series X uses an 7 nanometer process 8 core AMD Zen 2 CPU clocked at 3.8 gigahertz with simultaneous multithreading off or 3.6 gigahertz with simultaneous multithreading on. The AMD RDNA based GPU has 52 compute units clocked at 1.825 gigahertz with a performance of 12 teraflops.

The Series X has 16 gigabytes of GDDR6 RAM, with 10 gigabytes having a 560GB/s bandwidth and 6 gigabytes having a 336GB/s bandwidth.

Hardware

The Series X uses an internal custom 1 terabyte non-volatile memory express (NVMe) solid state drive. Storage is expandable. The Series X has a Ultra HD Blu Ray Drive for external storage, as well as a storage expansion slot.

The Series X internals are very modular for a console, and have significant amounts of cooling. A large 130 millimeter fan is used for cooling, in conjunction with a copper vapor chamber. Some have speculated the use of significant cooling by Microsoft is an attempt to not repeat the widespread reliability issues caused by inadequate cooling on previous consoles such as the Xbox 360.

The system uses an HDMI 2.1 port.

Series S

Compute

The Xbox Series S uses an 7 nanometer process 8 core AMD Zen 2 CPU clocked at 3.6 gigahertz with simultaneous multithreading off or 3.4 gigahertz with simultaneous multithreading on. The AMD RDNA based GPU has 20 compute units clocked at 1.565 gigahertz with a performance of 4 teraflops.

The Series S has 10 gigabytes of GDDR6 RAM, with 8 gigabytes having a 224GB/s bandwidth and 2 gigabytes having a 56GB/s bandwidth.

Hardware

The Series S uses a custom internal 512 gigabyte non-volatile memory express (NVMe) solid state drive. Internal storage is expandable through a slot, though the console lacks a optical drive.

A small illustration of a Spartan helmet from the Halo series is located on the Series S internal power supply unit casing - A hardware easter egg.

Dev Kit

The official Xbox Series X developer kit casing is very similar to the project scorpio Dev Kit made in the lead up to the Xbox One X, though there are differences. Prior to launch, developers of UWP apps were advised to simply use a Xbox One X and then validate on Xbox Series X or Series S hardware when they became available. The Series X developer kit featured enhanced memory with a 320 bit bus capable of higher speeds at 560 gigabytes a second, and having a larger amount, sporting 40 gigabytes of GDDR6 VRAM. This memory was contained in 20 Samsung K4ZAF325BM-HC14 chips containing 2 gigabytes of VRAM each. The Series X dev kit also included a 10 gigabit Ethernet port, a built in display and extra buttons.

Standard Xbox Series Consoles can be used for development through a development mode. In January 2022 restrictions began being implemented to stop homebrew and emulation.

Software

The Xbox Series X and Series S both support universal windows platform (UWP) applications, with no significant changes from the proceeding Xbox One X console for backwards compatibility reasons.

Notable games

Halo Infinite

On July 29th, 2021 a limited public beta of the multiplayer was launched. As a result of an accidental inclusion, a number of plot details of the game were leaked early.

Read more about Halo Infinite on Wikipedia.

Hi-Fi Rush

Read more about Hi-Fi Rush on Wikipedia.

Redfall

Read more about Redfall on Wikipedia.

Gallery

• 
  The Xbox Series X viewed diagonally from the top.
• 
  Series X with controller.
• 
  Xbox Series logotype with color.
• 
  Monochrome Xbox Series logotype.

External Resources

• Xbox - Official website.