Gaming handhelds are frequently the subject of articles here at Notebookcheck, but the Ink Console is one of a kind. Basically, it is an e-reader designed for a very particular kind of genre: game books. These are novels in which users influence how the story unfolds based on the decisions they make, which results in a kind of immersive experience not found in other typical gaming genres.
The Ink Console has a 7.5-inch E Ink screen with a resolution of 800 x 480, which does not support color. Content can be stored on a memory card and the device also supports wireless connectivity via WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 4.2. Although WiFi 4 is not the latest standard, such devices usually only transfer small amounts of data.
Joystick control is also said to be an option; more extensive input options are not always necessary for game books, but the OS is advertised as supporting more complex titles with certain features such as an inventory system. Various game books are reportedly in development, and the possibility of users developing their own game books is also advertised. The built-in battery is specified with a capacity of 5,000 mAh and is charged via microUSB.
The Ink Console will be financed as part of a crowdfunding campaign. Hence, information such as price and availability are still pending.
I have been active as a journalist for over 10 years, most of it in the field of technology. I worked for Tom’s Hardware and ComputerBase, among others, and have been working for Notebookcheck since 2017. My current focus is particularly on mini PCs and single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi – so in other words, compact systems with a lot of potential. In addition, I have a soft spot for all kinds of wearables, especially smartwatches. My main profession is as a laboratory engineer, which is why neither scientific contexts nor the interpretation of complex measurements are foreign to me.
Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.
