DEFINITION A gaming console is a system that is exclusively dedicated for gaming. It has been optimized for game playing as that is its core function. We can ply games on a PC or in a cell phone but these are not systems dedicated for gaming, so they are not gaming consoles.

HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMECONSOLES

1971-First commercial video game, Computer Space by Nutting Associates

1972-Atari introduced Pong

-Magnavox offered the first home video

game s/m which have no microprocessor.

1975-Atari introduced home version of Pong

1958:TENNIS FOR TWO

Spacewar! is credited as the first widely available and influential computer game.

BASIC COMPONENTS OF A VIDEO GAME CONSOLEThe core components are:

User control interface

CPU

RAM

Software kernel

Storage medium for games

Video output

Audio output

Power supply

COMMON ELEMENTS•Controllers: Devices that allow the user to input information and interact with onscreen objects. They are like the keyboards and joysticks of personal computers. •Power supply: a power supply converts 100-240 volt AC utility power into direct current (DC) at the voltages needed by the electronics. •Console/Core Unit: The core unit in a video game console is the hub where the television, video game controllers, and game program connect. It usually contains a CPU, RAM, and an audiovisual coprocessor. Core units are similar to towers of personal computers. •Game Media: Most video game consoles have their programs stored on external media. They are the ROM of consoles. •Memory Card: Some video game consoles, like the PlayStation and the Nintendo GameCube have memory cards to save, load, and delete files. Though recent consoles such as the Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii all have – or can have installed – hard drives/internal memory which save the data on the console itself. Memory cards are like flash drives for consoles.

PLAYSTATIONCentral processing unit

R3051 MIPS R3000A-compatible 32bit RISC chip running at 33.8688 MHz

The chip is manufactured by LSI Logic Corp. with technology licensed from SGI.

Features:

• Operating performance of 30 MIPS • Bus bandwidth 132 MB/s • 4 KB Instruction Cache • 1 KB non-associative SRAM Data Cache • 2 MB of main RAM

MOTHERBORD OF PS

PLAYSTATION

• Resolutions from 256x224 to 640x480 • Adjustable frame buffer • Unlimited color lookup tables • Maximum of 4000 8x8 pixel sprites with

individual scaling and rotation • Emulation of simultaneous backgrounds (for

parallax scrolling) • Flat or Gouraud shading and

texture mapping • 1 MB of VRAM

Graphics processing unit

SOME PS2 GAMES

SUCCESSORS

XBOX The console is a black box with a large “X” imprinted into the top. On paper, Xbox has more brute power and speed than any game console on the market.

XBOX•CPU: 32-bit 733 MHz, Pentium III-based, custom Intel Coppermine-based processor in a Micro-PGA2 package (though soldered to the mainboard using BGA). 180 nm process.[9]

•Storage media

• 2×–5× (2.6 MB/s–6.6 MB/s) CAV DVD-ROM • 8 or 10 GB, 3.5 in, 5,400 RPM hard disk.

Formatted to 8 GB. FATX file system. • Optional 8 MB memory card for saved

game file transfer.

XBOX CONTROLERS

SUCCESSORS

SOME XBOX360 GAMES

NINTENDOWii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the

console is for everyone. Wii can easily be

remembered by people around the world,

no matter what language they speak.

No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii

NENTENDOProcessors:

CPU: PowerPC-based "Broadway" processor, made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process, reportedly† clocked at 729 MHz

GPU: ATI "Hollywood" GPU made with a 90 nm CMOS process,reportedly† clocked at 243 MHz

Memory:

•88 MB main memory (24 MB "internal" 1T-SRAM integrated into graphics package, 64 MB "external" GDDR3 SDRAM)

•3 MB embedded GPU texture memory and framebuffer.

Power consumption:

•18 watts when switched on

•9.6 watts in standby with WiiConnect24 standby connection

•1.3 watts in standby

WIIMOTEThe Wii Remote sometimes unofficially nicknamed"Wiimote", is the primary controllerfor Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and optical sensor technology

OTHER WII CONTROLLER

Wii CLASSIC CONTROLLER

Wii WHEEL

Wii ZAPPER

SOME Wii GAMES

WIIFIT

Wii Fit comes with the Wii Balance Board, which is a wireless board that senses small shifts in posture and weight placement so that your Mii, or onscreen character, mimics your movements exactly

WIIINTERNET

•CSS •JavaScript •Ajax •RSS •Adobe Flash 7 •Widgets  

IT SUPPORTS OPERA9 BROWSER AND THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTS

PORTABLE VEDIO GAMES

HANDHELD GAME CONSOLEA handheld game console is a lightweight, portable device with a built-in screen, games controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place. Unlike video game consoles, the controls, screen and speakers are all part of a single unit.

Media

UMD, digital distribution, Blu-ray disc (used for content transfer via Remote Play)[

citation needed]

CPUMIPS R4000-based; clocked from 1 to 333 MHz

Storage capacity

Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo

Memory 32 MB

Display

480 x 272 pixels with 16.8 million colours, 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD, 3.8 in (97 mm) (PSP GO), 4.3 in (110 mm) (All other models)

Connectivity Wi-Fi (802.11b),[2] IrDA, USB

PSP IWISH

SOME GAMECUBE GAMES

SOME DS GAMES

SOME PSP GAMES

VIDEO ARCADE MACHINE An video game arcade cabinet, also known as an video arcade machine or video coin-op, is the housing within which an video arcade game's hardware resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the JAMMA wiring standard. Some include additional connectors for features not included in the standard.

JOYSTICKS

Joysticks pull off a really neat trick. They take something entirely physical -- the movement of your hand -- and translate it into something entirely mathematical -- a string of ones and zeros (the language of computers).

IN SIDE THE JOYSTICK

DISADVANTAGES

May be lead to adiction .

CONCLUSION On the whole, Gaming Consoles are the better option in the long run. They are designed for gaming. This has helped the industry understand the basic requirements of 3D and multimedia applications. Without a doubt, this will affect the designs of PCs in the future and make them more gamer friendly.

Gaming is indeed heading in the direction of becoming a mainstream form of entertainment. Gaming experience drives technology requirements and in turn contributes to the growth of the IT industry.