How do game consoles work

The Atari VCS also comprised of a custom graphics chip called Stella, which allowed the system to sync with the television generating screen display and sound effects. Photo by Kevin Bidwell. After the first Atari video game system was created, many other video game key players started being introduced into the market, including Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Within the last couple decades, video games have advanced exponentially, with each new release providing more power, enhanced graphics, quicker loading times, and all new ways to interact with games all because of the evolving embedded components within the system.

While video game consoles made today all provide their unique features and vary in performance, each console comprises of a similar embedded foundation.

Each video game system incorporates a form of user control interface in order for the player to interact with the game. And while the concept of pushing buttons or moving the controller to control the game may seem simple on the exterior, there is a lot happening behind the scenes.

Photo by Anthony. Video game consoles rely on CPUs central processing unit to calculate various aspects of the game and control how the game responds to user input. The GPU is responsible for translating instructions taken by the CPU and rendering what is seen on the screen by controlling the formation of images in a frame buffer. The GPU functions by utilizing the graphics memory or VRAM video random access memory , which stores the video and image data, and subsequently determines how the objects within the game look to the viewer.

The RAM within the system is vital to the overall interworkings of the system because it stores the game data that the CPU uses to make its calculations. We also see current systems using SSD cards for saving games and personal data. Video games consoles today also provide a video signal that allows them to be hooked up to a screen display, and depending on the type of television and HDMI cable used, the quality of the image and video from the video game can be affected.

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Can 2 switches play the same game? Can Wii U and switch play together Mario Kart? Is Mario Kart on switch worth it? Can Wii U be friends with switch? Can switch play online with Wii U? To offset costs, most video game console manufacturers use older CPU versions. Modern PCs are designed to run high-quality video games and may be used for a flawless gameplay experience.

However, video game consoles are preferred because they are cheaper. A video game console provides a bridge between arcades and PCs dedicated to video gameplay and home use. A PC is a general purpose computer that is also capable of running games and may be built with arcade-style controls.

An arcade is similar to a console and limited to public use but distinguished by its controls. By: Justin Stoltzfus Contributor, Reviewer. By: Satish Balakrishnan. Dictionary Dictionary Term of the Day. Natural Language Processing. Techopedia Terms. Connect with us.