Zilliqa will launch the world’s first Web3 games console

With the gaming industry time and again proving to be a productive medium for leveraging blockchain technology, Layer-1 blockchain Zilliqa has revealed its plans to launch the world’s first web3 hardware console and gaming hub.

In fact, last week’s reveal included more than just “plans”, as an actual prototype was unveiled, with the console’s aesthetic featuring a sleek and minimalist design that has everything you’d expect from a modern gaming console – such as HDMI, Ethernet, USB-C and USB 3.0 ports. That said, for those looking to get down to the nitty-gritty of the gaming hardware, the console’s full specs – such as processor, memory/storage, video capabilities, etc. – as well as price, will be released at a later date.

With regard to what the console will present to web3 players, the company has placed great emphasis on ease of use, where complex blockchain elements such as crypto wallets and mining will be integrated in a hidden way.

As expected, the console will offer players the ability to earn crypto ($ZIL tokens that is), but to appeal to gaming purists, Zilliqa intends its titles to focus primarily on gameplay and a “skill-to-earn” reward system, in unlike ‘play-to-earn’ mechanics seen in web3 games such as Axie Infinity.

With the ability to earn through skilled play, in addition to having $ZIL mining capabilities at their disposal, the company hopes that players will essentially be able to pay for the console through its use, while additionally hoping that the blockchain’s expanded base of international miners will help to increase decentralisation.

For those who have followed Zilliqa’s activity closely over the past few months, its Blockster-like plunge into hardware-centric web3 gaming won’t come as much of a surprise, as the company joined the Blockchain Gaming Alliance (BGA) in April this year, and has also formed partnerships with eSports entities such as MAD Lions, RRQ and Alien World.

That said, Zilliqa’s most exclusive partnership comes through the one it created with web3 eSports brand XBorg, whose community will help develop the console’s marketing capabilities and inaugural gaming tournaments. In return, XBorg members will get beta test access to the game hub in October.

After a successful testing phase, the console is expected to launch in Q1 of 2023. The launch is set to be accompanied by two exclusive titles, one of which is the free-to-play first-person shooter ‘WEB3WAR’.