Russia, renowned for birthing Tetris, is exploring the establishment of its own video game industry, including the development of gaming consoles.
During a socio-economic gathering this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin directed his government to explore the initiative, as reported by local media outlets. The presidential decree specifically mandates Russia to examine the production of both “stationary and portable game consoles,” alongside an operating system and cloud infrastructure for game distribution.
Putin introduced the directive at a time when major video game manufacturers—such as Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo—have ceased official sales to Russia in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite this ban, local Russian retailers continue to find avenues to import foreign gaming consoles. Nonetheless, the Kremlin perceives an opportunity to cultivate its own domestic video game industry amidst the stringent economic sanctions imposed by the West.
The government has until June 15 to scrutinize this ambitious proposal, with oversight entrusted to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. However, the endeavor is anticipated to encounter challenges. According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, Putin may have tasked the Russian technology company VK with executing the plan. Nevertheless, the publication notes: “Market participants assert that there is insufficient expertise to manufacture PlayStation and Xbox consoles domestically, and developing such a system from scratch could take up to ten years.”
