Project Cars developer working on own console with VR support

Slightly Mad Studios, the developer of Project Cars, among others, says it is working on its own console that should be released in three years. The console will receive support for existing and upcoming VR headsets.

Ian Bell, CEO of Slighty Mad Studios, hinted on Twitter to the arrival of the console. The CEO gives more explanation to Variety about what he calls the Mad Box. According to Bell, it is a standalone console, just like the Xbox and PlayStation. The hardware would be equivalent to that of a ‘very fast PC in two years’. Bell claims to be in talks with hardware manufacturers and states that the specifications have been laid down in detail.

The Mad Box should support most existing VR headsets and future models. The console should enable 4k games at 60fps and VR playback at 120fps. Slightly Mad Studios wants to open the console to all developers and says it will make a free development engine available.

According to the CEO, there is too little competition in the current console market. Bell claims to have good contacts in the hardware world and to be able to release something ‘epic’ with that. The company has not previously released hardware itself, but plans to market its console worldwide. Bell says there are already investors interested in funding the project, but the studio is currently looking at all options.

Slightly Mad Studios plans to show the first images of the console in four to six weeks. This is an early design that does not yet function. The British studio founded in 2009 is the creator of the Project Cars games and also has Need for Speed: Shift to its name.

Project Cars 2