So, in news that came literally out of nowhere, it seems like Slightly Mad Studios is creating a new console. Yes, that Slightly Mad, the folks behind the Project CARS games. In a brand new Twitter account created by studio CEO Ian Bell, the first details of the console were shared.
It’s referred to for now as the “Mad Box” (Bell’s name, not mine), and will apparently promise 4K, “VR at 60 frames per second per eye” (I don’t think this will lead to the best VR experience, to be honest, since a minimum of 90fps is recommended to avoid motion sickness), and will “raise the bar, substantially”.
But that’s not all, either. It seems like Bell and Slightly Mad have some really lofty ambitions for this console. Speaking to Variety, Bell confirmed an intent to have the console out in 2-3 years, noting that Slightly Mad are speaking to component manufacturers currently. He also noted that the console will be a worldwide release, that Slightly Mad has several investors backing up the finances of a new console launch, that the studio will offer developers incentives to launch games on their systems, but will not openly court exclusives, will have a “free development engine”, will have prices comparable to other upcoming consoles, and be equivalent to “a very fast PC 2 years from now”.
All of which sounds a bit ambitious (as I said), while also completely unviable given the realities of the market. That said, who knows? Maybe Slightly Mad Studios will change the paradigm of the console market entirely.
Meanwhile, we can also look forward to Project CARS 3, now confirmed to be in development.