If you could design your own games console...

[Whiskers]

Hey everyone!

So I've seen a lot of criticism of game consoles, with a lot of people feeling that they don't offer anything compelling compared to their gaming computer. So I was wondering - how would you change that? If you were tasked with the responsibility of designing and building a new console what would you do differently?

What would you focus on - games, hardware, features, aesthetics, price?

Please note, I'm posting this topic with the intention that it will be a sort of brainstorming session where we just contribute different ideas we have or opinions we have on what would make a good games console nowadays. In other words, please don't use it as a way of criticising existing consoles. And please don't respond with things like "I'd make it a computer / Nothing, consoles suck" please, it would be nice if you could contribute something more interesting.

I'll start: I would focus on building a cheap console (£150) which would cost more to build (£200-£250) and would make up for it in software sales. Free online service, open nature and developer friendly. Customisable interface, social interaction features, cross-game chat - and most importantly an online content store inspired by Steam. Users would be able to purchase games and other content and have complete control over what they do with it. They could sell it, trade it, gift it, loan it and borrow it.

Pretty much an Ouya with (nearly) the power and social features of a PS4 coupled with a console equivalent (or perhaps version of?) Steam.

So, what would you do? :D

[Theo]

i'd make it like a computer, but with beast specs so it has console like longevity without having to upgrade it 

[sonarctica]

I would make a PC in a nice clean cube... use around $600-800 in hardware and sell it for $300... now where do I get the money back from? Monthly subscription for online play (Xbox route) and other features that makes your insides all tingly. Though theres a problem where people will just buy the machine for the parts and nothing else. I guess I would have to be an asshole and lock it down somehow. Anyway, you can use the console OS (possibly Steam Big Picture, make a huge deal with valve and I'll get a cut from all the sold games, profit) or boot it up in windows, how ever you like it. 

[BRiteBak]

Just make an operating system that's open source and free and let people be able to build their own and run the OS

 

Make money by charging companies to sell machines premade running the OS

[mvitkun]

Pay AMD and Intel obscene amounts of money to work together on a powerful CPU and integrated GPU combo.

 

Partner with Steam to bring an interface and OS that uses very few resources while maximizing functionality,and also bringing low price games back to consoles.

 

Partner with Samsung to embed 64GB of flash nand onto the pcb of the console. (this will save space in the console enclosure,may opt to go with SSD instead)

 

Include a 1TB HDD. 

 

Design a caching system where the flash nand (or SSD) caches the map data to improve load times.

 

Enlarge the casing for the console to allow for larger more effective heatsinks so that it does not overheat and cause issues with console lifespan.

 

Allow signing up for a contract where the end user is required to pay for the online service of (Sony,Microsoft,or other party) for 2 years (at a price not exceeding $20 per month),in exchange the console price becomes $300.(price without contract between $700-$800)

[NinjaStyle013]

I would take the Xbox one, make the thing all one texture and colour, add automatic functionality to seamlessly connect a Xbox one controller to pc then leave it alone.

[TechTheWorld]

Here:

[obsidian1200]

I'd make it decently large, about the width and length of the X51 but much taller, about the height of one of the silverstone HTPC cases. I'd outsource fans for silent fans (Gelid, Noctua, Silverstone, whoever) and make custom heatsinks for the CPU and GPU using three 140mm fans and large tower-style heatsinks that pull air from the front of the case and blow it out the back, like a windtunnel, each isolated and with plenty of large heat pipes. The HDD would be hot-swappable, standard 750gb laptop HDD. There would be a slim slot-loading blu-ray drive.

[Guest]

Look I'll be honest with myself. If I could honestly make my own console it would pretty much just be a gaming PC that was linux based but could also play all the games that are made for windows...