Zilliqa Announces Its Own Web 3 Gaming Console With Crypto Mining Capabilities

Zilliqa is working on a console that will offer the possibility of mining cryptocurrencies while players have fun with their favorite Web3 games.

Zilliqa, a Layer 1 blockchain protocol, announced the launch of its new Web3-focused video game console competing against Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony— but with a twist that makes it unique.

According to Zilliqa’s statement published by VentureBeat, the new console is designed for gamers and cryptocurrency enthusiasts, as it will feature its own Game hub, a Web3 wallet, and crypto mining utilities. By next month Zilliqa will start testing the gaming hub.

For now, Zilliqa has refrained from disclosing the hardware specifications of the console; however, judging by the variety of ports shown in the photos (Headphone Jack, Ethernet, USB-C, USB 3.0, HDMI, among others), it is expected to be a competitive piece of hardware on par with its mainstream competitors.

Zilliqa Hopes to Become the Steam of Web 3 Gaming

Valentin Cobelea, head of gaming technology at Zilliqa, said the company got a great response from the community when it announced its first game at Gamescom. The team expects to catch users’ attention not only for the gaming capabilities of their device but for its monetary incentives, which will be a nice plus for those interested in getting it.

“Zilliqa’s hardware console and gaming hub will allow non-crypto natives to earn money while playing fun games without the complexity of managing the crypto they earn.”

Cobelea further added that the console and gaming hub will be launched in early 2023 once the company expands its catalog. Zilliqa hopes to become “the Steam equivalent for Web3 games.”

“With the backing of Zilliqa’s large crypto community and the easy-to-use infrastructure, we have no doubt that we can become the Steam equivalent for Web3 games.”

Web 3 Video Games Make Their Way Into the Gaming Industry

According to a recent Zilliqa report on Web3 games, blockchain gaming activity skyrocketed more than 2000% during 2021, and despite the bearish times, some games have managed to have more than 300 thousand active users.

However, there is still a long way to go for these types of games to manage to compete equally with those on Web 2, since players who enter Web2 do so to have fun without caring about economic gains, while on Web3, the vast majority of players enter to make money.

According to Zilliqa, the Web3 gaming industry is still in its early years of maturity, so perhaps in the future, studios will be able to offer new game modalities that, beyond focusing on monetary incentives, are fun and competitive as Axie Infinity was in the midst of the Bitcoin bull run, where several families in countries like the Philippines abandoned their jobs to dedicate themselves full time to this game.