Russia admits its homegrown consoles can't match the PS5 or Xbox Series

Russia's homemade consoles struggle to match global standards, relying on the Elbrus processor.

: Russia aims to create homegrown gaming consoles but acknowledges they cannot match the capabilities of the PS5 or Xbox Series. One console, powered by the Elbrus processor, is insufficiently competitive, while another uses MTS' $45 cloud gaming platform. Elbrus processors, used primarily in domestic sectors, fall short of high-end CPUs. MTS enables high-end PC owners to rent computing power for gaming.

Russia has been striving to develop its own gaming consoles, but even local authorities recognize their products cannot compete with industry leaders like the PS5 or Xbox. The government-led initiative, prompted by President Vladimir Putin, aims to create consoles utilizing Russian technologies such as the Elbrus processor based on VLIW architecture.

Two consoles are under development: one using the Elbrus processor and a domestic OS like Aurora or Alt Linux, which isn't competitive; the other is an MTS console offering a $45 cloud-based gaming service. The Elbrus processor, though adequate for enterprise applications, falls short of matching the performance of high-end Intel, AMD, and Arm CPUs.

MTS' console exploits its Fog Play platform which rents out powerful PCs to support the gaming needs of users with low-end devices, potentially costing users less than $45. Anton Gorelkin, from the State Duma, emphasized that these consoles aim to promote Russian games instead of running ports of older titles, urging for innovative solutions.

gaming hardwareElbrus processorconsoles