Russia reveals plans for a homegrown gaming console as part of its push to strengthen the local gaming industry. On December 25, Anton Gorelkin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, shared details about the project, emphasizing the country’s efforts to become more self-reliant in technology.
The console’s technical foundation rests on the domestically produced Elbrus processor, developed by the Moscow Center of SPARC Technologies. The gaming console will use Russian Linux versions like Aurora or Alt Linux, showing Russia’s effort to rely less on Western technology. The Elbrus processor isn’t as powerful as big names like Intel, AMD, or Arm, but Russian officials highlight that it’s designed to support local game development, not international games, reported by TechSpot.
Other Gaming Projects and Tech Independence
Russia’s plans for gaming go beyond regular consoles. They’re also working on Fog Play, a cloud gaming project that lets users rent processing power from powerful computers to play games. This project is part of Russia’s larger tech efforts, which include using Astra Linux widely in government and schools and creating Multiscanner, a local alternative to Google’s VirusTotal.
Russia still faces big challenges in becoming fully independent in technology. It heavily depends on Chinese technology, especially for electronics and smartphones. Russia’s gaming console project shows both progress and challenges. The Elbrus processor’s weaker performance compared to top gaming platforms highlights the technical difficulties Russia faces in becoming more self-reliant in technology.
The development of these gaming consoles shows Russia’s strong desire for tech independence, but it also highlights the challenges of reaching this goal while facing global restrictions. Russian officials admit that their main focus is on developing games locally, with plans to support local gaming talent and create content specifically for these consoles.
