Russian Xbox, PlayStation rival console announced by Vladimir Putin

A new gaming system could soon be entering the console space, one that hopes to go head-to-head with both PlayStation and Xbox.

As reported by TweakTown, the supposed upcoming console has reportedly been ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

It’s believed that Putin has instructed his government to look into what’s required for production to get underway on both a Russian-made console and portable handheld.

The idea is that the consoles would be created within Russia, manufactured there, and run on Russian software, making for a system that is totally native to the country.

TweakTown added that Putin’s deadline for executing the order on this move falls on 15 June 2024.

The country’s Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, is set to oversee the completion of the task. This is in partnership with the Organisation for Developing the Video Game Industry (RVI).

A five-year roadmap was laid out by the Russian government in February, with an 83-point programme planned in order to help successfully develop a domestic Russian gaming industry.

It’s believed that the console at the centre of these plans is targeting a 2026/2027 release.

PlayStation recently returned to the handheld market with the PlayStation Portal streaming device.

The unnamed console’s release could line-up with the drop of PlayStation and Xbox’s next-gen consoles.

Earlier this year, Sony confirmed that the PlayStation 5 had entered the latter stages of its life cycle. Given that it’s just over three years old, this suggests that there’s just under three years left until the PS6 lands.

We don’t have an exact timeline for Xbox’s next console but it has been confirmed to be in the works with Xbox’s Sarah Bond teasing that the console would mark “the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation,” on the official Xbox podcast.

As for what specs the Russian-made console will boast, we have no idea. Only time will tell.