Polium aims to be the first Web3 gaming console
Gaming has long been seen as a legitimising space for Web3, NFTs and the broader blockchain movement. The thinking goes that as gamers become comfortable with these things by having them in their games, then the broader market adoption of them won’t be far behind.
Polium is looking to be the first console manufacturer in the space, announcing the Polium One as a dedicated Web3 console. According to Polium’s statement of intent “white paper”: “Polium is building a multi-chain gaming console built specifically for Web3 gaming. Users will be able to discover and play great games that are built on different blockchains without needing to switch networks or use multiple wallets.
“The games will be easy to find, which will make it more efficient for playing Web3 games. Most people just want to plug in and play without needing to go through the hassle of setting up multiple wallets and visiting different sites just to play a game.”
That same white paper states that the console will be running games that are built on ImmutableX, Solana, Polygon, Ethereum, BNB, Wax, EOS and Harmony blockchains. Users will be able to play on all chains without needing to manually switch between the two of them.
The console will include a controller custom-designed for blockchain gaming (and there will be a multi-chain wallet built into the machine for trading, staking, swapping and receiving tokens).
To help fund the development of the console, Polium will be releasing a 10,000 collection of NFTs, the “Polium Pass” that will sit on the Ethereum blockchain.
The console is only in its very earliest stages currently – Polium cannot even confirm a single game that will run on the device, but the planned launch for it is in 2024. The company is aiming for a 8K HDR console that will run at 120 fps with ray tracing and other premium features that would see it be more powerful than the current PlayStation 5 and Xbox One.
It must be said that there has been significant scepticism from the community, both within and without the blockchain space, regarding this console. However, regardless of what happens with this attempt, it seems inevitable that a Web3 gaming console will make its way to market at some stage, and it will be fascinating to see what form that takes.