Details Unveiled for Putin’s ‘Sovereign’ Gaming Consoles: One Features Native Elbrus CPU, the Other a Chinese Replica — Russian Government Concedes They Fall Short Against PS5 and Xbox

In the realm of sovereign computing, efforts often falter due to scant resources or veer towards imitation, losing their original purpose. Earlier this year, when Putin directed the government to develop a Russian gaming console, the industry seemed to adopt a dual strategy. According to Habr.com, they plan to design a sovereign console based on Russia’s own dual-core Elbrus processor. Meanwhile, an RBC report suggests another approach: creating a cloud-based gaming service using inexpensive consumer hardware and labeling it sovereign.

The Russian gaming console under development features an Elbrus processor with a Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) microarchitecture. Originally intended for demanding, critical missions, its performance reviews haven’t been kind. Benchmarks reveal that Elbrus struggles with even basic tasks, making it quite underwhelming by today’s standards.

Given this, it’s clear that the upcoming console won’t rival the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S. To address these performance hurdles, Russian officials are urging developers to think outside the box. Anton Gorelkin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, voiced his hopes, emphasizing the necessity for innovation given Elbrus’s current limitations.

This innovative route might involve crafting games simple enough for Elbrus processors or leveraging cloud technologies. However, the latter demands excellent broadband and low latency for a smooth gaming experience—something that could complicate widespread enjoyment.

Gorelkin also stressed that this console should not just be a repository for old game ports but should serve as a stage for promoting Russian-made video games.

Shifting the focus to MTS, a leading Russian telecom firm, we’re introduced to their project: a cloud-centric gaming console. Known as the MTS Fog Play platform, this device openly embraces its cloud-based nature. Priced at roughly $50, it comes with a controller similar to an Xbox’s design. However, given its price point, the hardware itself can’t handle even basic Android games. Instead, it relies on the Fog Play cloud service, offering both remote and rental gaming options—meaning users with high-end PCs can rent games and utilize their existing hardware.

As of now, neither of these consoles has hit the market. But rest assured, we’ll be eagerly awaiting and examining benchmarks once they do.