We don't know the specs yet, but we have some info on it.
Meet the Mad Box revealed by
Slightly Mad Studios CEO and found, Ian Bell. They are the creators of popular racing games such as Project Cars and Project Cars 2.
It’s a very unusual form, built around the shape of an M — we see what they did there. SMS clearly intends it to stand vertically, with the ends of the M splayed out to form a stand. One end seems to consist of a transparent plate through which you can see the console internals. Bell’s post blurs these out, as some aspects are apparently not finalized.
Suitably called Mad Box, the console will feature true 4K power as well as VR support. Bell clarified the original info above with Variety, stating that VR will actually be able to achieve 120fps.
The free development engine is a surprise move as well. Slightly Mad has created a full suite for other developers to utilize as they see fit, without any additional cost. “We think exclusives are ‘exclusionary’ but given that we’ll be shipping a cross platform engine to all developers it will be their choice,” Bell told Variety, “as of now we have no plans to pay developers ‘incentives’ to exclude other hardware vendors.”
SMS already has numerous investors onboard, and is looking at a global console launch. Bell promises a competitive price, with the target release window being roughly 2022.
A game developer getting into the console business is unheard of. Developers help a company shape its hardware, sure — Polyphony Digital has done so with multiple generations of PlayStations, for example — but this, this is something new
Although the legs aren’t very space friendly — it looks like you’ll need almost as much space on your desk as the console’s full height — Bell suggests they contain some components. This could hint at wireless charging for game pads.
The Tweets show the Mad Box with four different color light strips, with the large SMS mascot on the side picked out in the same color. It seems likely that these are color-changing LEDs that convey a system status, or are user-configurable.
Among other things, Bell also confirms wireless communication between Mad Box units. He adds that they each have a one-press carry handle and don’t weigh all that much. It’s hard to get a sense of scale from the images, but the console appears to be at least the same size as a PS4 Pro, albeit wider.
It sounds like a customizable console. As of now we have no other info on pricing or a release date... or if this will ever happen.
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