When compared to other countries, China’s console gaming industry is relatively new. Until 2015, the Chinese government instituted a near-complete ban on video game consoles, citing concerns over video game addiction and its effects on impressionable gamers. Inadvertently, this policy helped pave the way for the explosive growth in the Chinese PC gaming community, and the rise of developers like Netease and Tencent.
RELATED:PlayStation Console Variations That Exclusively Released In Japan
However, since the end of the nearly two-decade-long ban on the console gaming industry, many Chinese companies have begun developing their own exclusive consoles for the Chinese market, one that has been expanding with a year-over-year growth rate of 21% since 2008.
5Subor Z
Developed in collaboration with AMD, theSubor Zis perhaps one of the more visually striking Chinese game consoles, seemingly taking design elements from bothMicrosoft’sXbox 360andSony’s Playstation 4. However, one of the more unique aspects of theSubor Zis its operating system, (one that will be familiar to any veteran of Windows 10) as it runs on a customized version of the OS. Additionally, theSubor Zsports a number of domestically developed internal components, such as itsFenghuangCPU and GPU, that make it a truly Chinese product for the Chinese market. Considering the relatively upstart nature of the console gaming industry in China,Zhongshan’sSubor Zis an innovative gaming platform that is a far cry from the knock-off consoles of the prior decades.
4iSec
Back in 2012, developerEedoopartnered withLenovoto develop a console capable of motion capture technology, similar toXboxand itsKinectline of gaming peripherals. As it was initially released during China’s ban on console gaming, theiSecwasn’t marketed as a game console, but rather as a home entertainment system, capable of playing music, movies, etc.
RELATED:Nintendo Console Variations That Exclusively Released In Japan
Despite this all-encompassing approach, theiSec fared poorly in the Chinese market, and combinedwith its hefty $600 price tag, theiSecwas essentially dead on arrival when it was first introduced. Since then, the company behind theiSechas been acquired by an undisclosed software developer, so it’s unlikely theiSecwill see a second-generation anytime soon.
3Fun Box
A joint venture between the Chinese telecom companyZTEand online game operatorThe9,theFun Boxholds the distinction of being one of the first domestically made consoles to be soldafterChina’s nationwide ban on console gaming was lifted. Featuring 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, theFun Box’s internals aremore on par with theRaspberry Pi400than those of even a last-gen gaming console. But theFun Boxwas never truly intended to render AAA titles in 4K. Rather, theFun Boxwas built around theAndroid OS, and as such, would be more at home playingthe variety of games available on theGoogle Playstore.
2Mate 20 X
Stretching the definition of the term “console” somewhat, theMate 20 Xfrom telecom companyHuaweiis in fact, a gaming smartphone. However, theMate 20 Xfeatures a number of internal components seen more frequently in the PC gaming sphere than in mobile gaming, such as a built-in vapor chamber to help dissipate heat when under high loads. Additionally, the phone is capable of supporting a D-Pad attachment, allowing players the opportunity to more finely control their movements in-game.
RELATED:Game Consoles That Exclusively Released In Japan
This, coupled with the fact that theMate 20 Xwas first presented in comparison tothe much more well-knownNintendo Switch, makes it much easier to see this “gaming smartphone” as more of a “console that can make phone calls.” Considering the boom in the Chinese mobile gaming sphere, theMate 20 Xis a natural balancing act between the console and mobile gaming communities.
1Tomahawk F1
If theSubor Ztook design inspirations from thePlaystation 4and theXbox 360, theTomahawk F1took the two consoles, smashed them together, and ran with the end result. Unfortunately for theTomahawk, however, that’s about where the similarities end. With 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a four-core CPU byNvidia, theTomahawk F1sits at roughly half the computing power of thePS4, a console released a full three years before theTomahawk.
However, the saving grace of the console lies less in its blistering performance, and more in the pricepoint. At initial release, thePS4cost roughly $400 before tax, whereas theTomahawk F1, with all additional upgrades, would set the consumer back a comparatively cheap $230. Therefore, theTomahawk F1might be better presented as a “bang-for-the-buck” alternative in the Chinese gaming market, especially to those who may otherwise be unwilling to pay large up-front costs associated with more mainstream gaming consoles.
