Consoles - SlashGear

‘Consoles’ Stories

64 Boy portable N64 mod is smallest yet [Video]

Chris Davies, Apr 19th 2010 Discuss [0]

We can't help it, we just love full-sized games consoles turned into compact portables. Bentomo has come up with a real doozy, too; the 64 Boy takes a Nintendo N64 and packs it into a 165 x 110 x 53mm casing with a 3.5-inch display, expansion pak and full controls, together with a battery apparently good for up to 4hrs runtime. Best of all, it's up for sale. Video demo after the cut Read The Full Story

Pandora games console production models spied; Volcano interrupts shipping

Chris Davies, Apr 19th 2010 Discuss [0]

The open-source Pandora games handheld project continues, with the latest milestone on the way to actual, shipping products being two "mass production" units with painted cases. Posted by project member Craigix, while the first photo (there's another after the cut) might not make it completely clear, the Pandora on the left has been finished in black and the model on the right is in grey. Read The Full Story

Sony refuses PS3 refunds: “first and foremost a games console”

Chris Davies, Apr 16th 2010 Discuss [1]

Bad news if you were hoping to milk Sony for a few bucks after hearing they gave at least one person a partial PS3 refund over the "Other OS" debacle. The company has denied that removing the ability to install alternative OSes to the original PS3 hardware contravenes the Sale of Goods Act, describing it as "first and foremost a games console" and insisting that "our marketing materials for the console reflect this." If retailers - like Amazon in the initial case - want to issue a partial refund, the company reckons, that's up to them, but they shouldn't expect any help from the Sony purse. Read The Full Story

Slim Xbox 360 bundle with Natal by end of year tips analyst

Chris Davies, Apr 14th 2010 Discuss [0]

That Microsoft are working on a slimmer Xbox 360 update doesn't seem all that surprising, given we've already seen leaked images of the mainboard along with the console itself, but Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachte reckons Microsoft will be doing more than just putting the console on a diet. "At a minimum," he wrote in a recent research note, "we anticipate the introduction of a more feature-packed Xbox 360 as the standard SKU in late 2010 (likely with a 250GB hard drive) at the same $299 price point." However he also reckons it's more probable that Microsoft will want to get Project Natal in there too. Read The Full Story

Next-gen Wii challenge is making generic hardware “unique” says Miyamoto

Chris Davies, Apr 13th 2010 Discuss [0]

It's not just the 3DS that Nintendo are thinking about; the company have also been looking to the Wii's replacement, and the focus seems to be not so much on the very latest hardware but how the company could make the Wii 2 distinctive against their rivals. According to Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto, "in the next generation of hardware, the challenge is how unique and different a product Nintendo is able to make," pointing out to Games TM magazine that "technology is available to all equally today." Read The Full Story

PS3 owner refunded 20% after Sony v3.21 update

Chris Davies, Apr 9th 2010 Discuss [2]

Has Sony's PS3 update opened an unexpected can of refund worms? According to one member of the NeoGAF forums, Amazon UK paid him £84 after he complained that his original 60GB console - which was well out of both Sony's warranty and Amazon's own 30-day guarantee - was, after firmware v3.21 was installed, in contravention of European Directive 1999/44/EC. The law states that goods must be fit for the purpose that a seller advertises them as suitable for, and in removing the "Other OS" functionality Sony have inadvertently broken it. Read The Full Story

Geohot demos custom PS3 firmware [Video]

Chris Davies, Apr 8th 2010 Discuss [0]

After taking Sony to task for yanking "Other OS" support from the PS3 in their latest firmware update, v3.21, George Hotz - aka geohot - has followed up on his promise to develop a custom firmware build that bypasses the new restriction. The new firmware, which is yet to be publicly released, maintains the ability to install third-party OSes on the PS3, but without the gamer losing access to the PlayStation Network. Video demo after the cut Read The Full Story

NEC debuts huge 52-inch P521 commercial LCD

Shane McGlaun, Apr 6th 2010 Discuss [0]

NEC makes a lot of different displays for various uses. Typically, we talk about their green desktop displays for computer users. However, the firm also makes a range of much larger displays that can be used for other purposes than sitting on your desk. Read The Full Story

iPhone to iPad converter is a joke, but it is a cool joke

Shane McGlaun, Apr 1st 2010 Discuss [0]

Let me just say right off the bat, that this is an April fool's joke of a product. It is a cool joke though and I bet more than a few of you out there wish it were a real product. I loathe April 1 each year, always someone out to trick us geeky writer types and the trickery tends to last a week or more too. Read The Full Story

PS3 firmware v3.21 is out; where’s Geohot when you need him?

Chris Davies, Apr 1st 2010 Discuss [1]

It's not just shoddy April Fools jokes that you can expect today; if you're a PS3 owner, then turning on your console - assuming it's one of the original models, rather than the newer slimline version - will leave you face to face with PS3 firmware v3.21. Doing little more than stripping out the ability to install other OSes on the console, we're hearing that PS3s all over are being presented with the (optional) update. Read The Full Story

PS3 custom firmware promised to bypass “Other OS” v3.21 limitation

Chris Davies, Mar 30th 2010 Discuss [0]

After Sony's somewhat bizarre "security" related decision to block Other OS installation on the original PS3 consoles with the next scheduled firmware update, hacker George Hotz - who some believe prompted Sony's move, after he publicly admitted to having hacked the console back in January 2010 - has promised a lifeline for console owners. His advice is to avoid installing the PS3 firmware v3.21 due on April 1st, and instead wait for an alternative flashing app of his own design. Read The Full Story

Sony PS3 firmware v3.21 strips “Other OS” functionality

Chris Davies, Mar 29th 2010 Discuss [0]

Sony have announced a new PS3 firmware update, but while most users generally look forward to such events, v3.21 is likely to cause Sony no end of headaches. That's because, rather than add in functionality, PS3 firmware v3.21 seems only intended to remove the ability to install other OSes to the console. Sony have described the move - which will impact versions of the PS3 prior to the current PS3 Slim model - as prompted by "security concerns", though fail to detail exactly what those concerns might be. It's a decision that some believe is connected to geohot's hacking of the PS3 back in January 2010. Read The Full Story