The console world has been dominated in recent years by three big companies: Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony. But it could soon add a fourth major competitor. We're talking about the new console from Slightly Mad Studios. Mad Box aims to directly compete with PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
The company claims that its console will be the most powerful today, as you can see in the tweet from Ian Bell, president of Slightly Mad Studios:
What is the Mad Box? It's the most powerful console ever built... It's literally 'Mad'... You want 4k, you want VR at 60FPS? You want a full engine for free to develop your games on it? You have it.
— Ian Bell CEO SMS (@bell_sms) January 2, 2019"What is the Mad Box? It's the most powerful console ever created... It's literally "Insane". Do you want 4K, do you want 60FPS VR? Do you want a free platform to develop your games? You have it."
Madbox specs
Slightly Mad Studios released the image of its Mad Box console, and even talked about the features it will offer players. For example, the console will be able to withstand temperatures of up to 100°C and self-cool quickly.
The public have spoken and we've listened. This is the design we're going with. It might be slightly amended over time... Thanks all for your responses which have helped to guide us. pic.twitter.com/3dadUkz4Ue
— Ian Bell CEO SMS (@bell_sms) January 11, 2019What must be the most powerful console made to date (a title that currently belongs to Xbox One X), and will be focused mainly on offering the best 4K experience and the best virtual reality on the market. It will be able to run any game in 4K with a frequency of 60 fps, and when using the virtual reality glasses, the rate rises to 120 frames per second, something that the PS5 will probably be unable to do.
All this will make the picture so realistic that it will literally be no different from the real world. It is already clear that the Mad Box must be far superior to the future Xbox Scarlett and PS5, but what gamers really like is its cooling system, as well as the very practical controller, which can be customized at your own discretion, even even controlling your weight.
Design Mad Box
Bell also showed off the first version of the Mad Box design via his Twitter account.
Design concept (number 4 I believe?)... Would love to hear your feedback. pic.twitter.com/svwUS1CQig
— Ian Bell CEO SMS (@bell_sms) January 7, 2019As we can see, the Mad Box will have a futuristic and stylized design. It is a tower that incorporates a touch-sensitive front panel. The console body itself has a slightly transparent effect, which makes it very elegant and attractive.
On the front of the console there are two small OLED displays, which can display different information, the LED series lights form the letter M. There you can see the name of the game, the time of day, as well as the heating level of the console. Players will be able to decide what information should be displayed on these panels.
Additionally, RGB lights are customizable, and there are multiple brackets to adjust the console's position horizontally or vertically, or hang it like a picture on the wall. The company logo is located on the left side. It will be available in different colors and textures. At the base is the ventilation system, which does not touch the ground, being raised by two flaps.
Indulge. x pic.twitter.com/uQYxp62nYr
— Ian Bell CEO SMS (@bell_sms) January 14, 2019It will weigh very little and offer a wireless communication system with other Mad Box consoles. This project is likely to change over time as it is just a prototype. So, we will have to wait a little longer to know the final version.
Most notable in these exclusive images is the presence of the game Project CARS Revolution, a game that does not yet exist, but official sources have suggested that it could be one of the launch games included with this console.
Controles do Mad Box
On Twitter, Bell shared several mock-ups of a potential design for the Mad Box gamepad. This concept bears a superficial resemblance to an Xbox controller, albeit with more angled grips and a screen in the center. In a follow-up tweet, Bell shared another image that showed the rear blades. You can see the mock-ups below.
First look at the Mad Box controller concept. Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/7vlEgcTckC
— Ian Bell CEO SMS (@bell_sms) January 21, 2019The controller will feature an LED touchscreen, precision triggers and rear paddles, plus a glowing Mad Box logo in the center. The biggest feature is certainly the LED touch screen, which can be used as a keyboard, or to show information about games, movies or music. There's also a camera button that's probably for taking screenshots faster.
Mad Box price
The expected value should be around US$ 800 (around R$ 3000, in direct conversion), and the presentation to the public should take place later this year. But these data on values are projections, there is still no official data from the developer.
Mad Box vs. PS5 e Xbox Scarlett
It's pretty obvious that both the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett must be built around all that the Mad Box can offer gamers. However, they should not be so interesting and innovative. But, of course, the success of the product of Sony and Microsoft companies will directly depend on the price will be sold.
Sobre a Slightly Mad Studios
It is a British company dedicated to game development. Founded in 2008, it was officially recognized in 2009 for the creation of the game Need for Speed Shift, with Electronic Arts. In late 2010, the company developed Shift 2: Unleashed. At that time, Slightly Mad Studios was ranked 17th on the list of the 100 best game development companies in the world.
Other games created by Slightly Mad Studios were: Test Drive: Ferrari Legends, Bike Bash, World of Speed, Project CARS and Project CARS 2.
What do you think of the new Mad Box console? Do you think you could compete with the PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch? Or even with the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett? Leave your opinion in the comments!
