In a tech industry that seems to be spinning its wheels, with the major players stuck in a comfortable rut, crowdfunding has become the place where innovation actually happens. That's where we find the PGS, a platform built on the Intel Atom x7 that promises to work as a PC, portable console, and smartphone all at once, thanks to its dual boot support combining Windows 10 and Android 6.0.
Mobile gaming is a massive market, but the limitations of the smartphone format and the casual nature of most titles have kept it from reaching its full potential. Anyone who finds a smartphone inadequate will look for alternatives among portable consoles, but Nintendo just keeps recycling the 3DS, and the PlayStation Vita's last hardware update is already over two years old. Clearly, both routes can leave hardcore gamers unsatisfied, so maybe it's an interesting time to explore bolder options. When we combine the words "console" and "crowdfunding," the scary memory of the OUYA immediately comes to mind, along with the occasional cardboard-painted scam, so it's logical for users to be skeptical of new projects. But the PGS brings an extra layer of assurance through a Kickstarter campaign and what appears to be a working prototype:
A Look Under the Hood
At its core, the PGS is a portable console with the exact hardware to double as a computer and a smartphone. It's powered by an Intel Atom x7-Z8750 SoC with four cores at 2.56 GHz in Turbo mode (1.6 GHz base) and an Intel HD 405 integrated GPU. The two models, Lite and Hardcore, differ in screen size: 5.5 inches at 720p and 5.7 inches at 1440p, respectively. RAM ranges from 4 GB to 8 GB, while internal storage goes from 64 GB to 128 GB. Being an x86 platform, the PGS uses Windows 10 as its primary OS, but the Hardcore model also adds smartphone functionality, giving it a dual-boot with Android 6.0. In short, the idea is that you're buying three devices in one, with access to the most popular stores from both operating systems (Steam and Google Play).
https://www.youtube.com/embed/KtRBEFPSMU4Crowdfunding and Availability
The PGS has been in development for a little over two years, which allowed it to adopt more powerful hardware (it started with a Bay Trail chip, but the x7-Z8750 is a 14nm Cherry Trail-Airmont), though you shouldn't expect it to run titles like Fallout 4 or the latest DOOM. The PGS project launched its Kickstarter campaign just a few days ago, and it has already comfortably surpassed its original goal of $100,000. Prices are set at $230 for the Lite edition, and the jump to the Hardcore model is just $50 more (for now). The most delicate point is the wait, as the first units are expected to ship in March 2017, assuming nothing goes wrong.
For more details, visit the official site.
