Here comes the world’s first game console featuring an E Ink display, TecheBlog reported. Named Figment, the game console comes with a Waveshare 7.5-inch B/W E-ink screen that makes it well-suited for playing text-based or other such simple games. Currently in its prototype form, the Figment also sports a similar look to a handheld gaming console. That includes a D-pad along with a few other buttons for A/B and navigating the menu options. All of this gives Figment that classic Game Boy look.
The Figment is a far cry from the usual game consoles of its class, which boast a high-resolution LCD or OLED screen with a high refresh rate. None of that with the Figment, which, as is typical of E Ink screens, has a low refresh rate. This makes it suitable for only text-based games at best, or other games that lack fast screen refreshes. Apart from this, the display, as is already known, is very pleasing to the eyes and is perfectly readable even in bright sunlight conditions. The display also consumes far less power compared to traditional displays.
The device otherwise looks simple and well-built. However, it is not known what its internal structure is like. That said, what seems to be a certainty is that it runs an ESP32 SoC microcontroller. The choice seems obvious, considering that the Figment would be best for playing only simple classic-type games, lacking fast-moving scenes. Examples of such games can be Sudoku, Chess, Minesweeper, and such. Figment otherwise, is also known to use a game engine that comprises pre-written “books/games” and AI.
“Right now, the core gameplay is kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure book, with some light D&D-style mechanics (decisions + dice rolls), but I’m hoping to explore other slow-paced or asynchronous mechanics that feel good in eInk.
“I’m a big fan of eInk, but still not sure how relevant the gaming use case is for you all— this might not be flashy enough for gamers or relevant enough for people who go to eInk for reading or to reduce their use of regular screens,” the modder revealed on Reddit.
More details are awaited. Stay tuned.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.