Ink Console is a new and interesting reading because it’s not just a simple e-reader; it’s a hybrid e-reader game console.
A hybrid e-reader game console is something that’s pretty new to the reading and gaming world. Sure, there have been some fun choose-your-own-adventure story games and there are lots of hybrid e-readers in the market. However, Ink Console is the first hybrid e-reader game console in the world, and it offers something very promising for readers and gamers alike.
Today, we’ll be taking a deeper look into what Ink Console is and how it could help further merge gaming and reading in the future.
What Is Ink Console—The First Ever E-Ink Game Console?
Choose-your-own-adventure novels and vintage text-based video games serve as inspiration for Ink Console. It transforms reading into an engaging and dynamic experience by allowing you to play while you read. Additionally, the goal is to inspire others to create their own gamebooks.
The console’s e-ink screen measures 7.5 inches and has a resolution of 800 x 480. Readers will be prompted by gamebooks to make decisions that will influence how they progress through the games.
Players may examine and manage the stuff they’ve gathered throughout their adventure using the OS’s inventory system, which they can employ in times of need. An additional layer of strategy is provided by the health status system.
Overall, it seems to be a good step towards the retro gaming vibe that many players enjoyed. Not only is Ink Console hitting the aesthetics right, but it’s also staying true to the essence of choosing and creating one’s own adventure game.
What Are the Specs of an E-Ink Game Console and Reading Device Like Ink Console?
The Ink Console includes a low-power ESP32-D0WDQ6 dual-core 32-bit microprocessor and a black and white E Ink display. This is because the hybrid device wasn’t designed for people to play graphically demanding games on it. It is made to play interactive adventure games similar to Zork or read books that are similar to Choose Your Own Adventure instead of high-motion games.
You also got a software development kit that enables anyone with a love of telling stories, including authors, artists, and game designers, to produce their own titles. The software’s entry barrier is probably going to be considerably lower because future Ink Console creators aren’t required to have knowledge about codes, 3D graphics, or color theory. The SD card reader on the Ink Console will allow users to load new Gamebooks.
A 5,000 mAh battery, a stereo headphone socket, a mono speaker, and support for Bluetooth 4.2 LE and WiFi 4 are further features the device offers. Even though those wireless specifications seem a little out of date in 2025, a device that is likely to run games with file sizes in KB and MB rather than GB doesn’t really need lightning-fast wireless connectivity.
The Ink Console doesn’t require a lot of memory, processing power, or storage because it is made to run straightforward, mostly text-based titles that are more interactive novels than games. It only contains 520 KB of SRAM, 8MB of PSRAM, and 4MB of flash memory.
How Will the Developer Get the Funds to Create Such a Promising Hybrid E-Reader Game Console?
On March 1, the device’s developer, Dana Puchau, intends to start a Crowd Supply crowdfunding campaign. Puch intends to “make the entire project open-source” for anybody who wishes to examine or alter hardware designs or programming, or construct/modify their own Ink Console, once the crowdfunding push for the device is over.
For anyone who would like to modify the casing or make platform add-ons, STEP files are going to be made accessible. Although the Ink Console is not yet a reality, the creator has put together a functional prototype.
They’ve had numerous successful runs for crowdfunding campaigns under their Green Boy name. What they did under that name was to develop fresh video game titles for the vintage Nintendo Game Boy portable system.
Personal Thoughts on Brand New Hybrid E-Reader Device
It’s always fun to see new console concepts. For me, it evokes nostalgia from both literature and games, and the simple creation of custom adventures offers a fresh perspective with a ton of possibilities. How much it resonates with younger audiences is something I’ll be watching. Seeing that our gamer personality traits affects our choice of games, I’m also curious to find out what type of people would gravitate to this device.
Another good thing I see happening from this is that this could encourage people to actually read again. Imagine how interesting it would be to read an interactive novel that’ll get you hooked on playing. Perhaps those who enjoy Ink Console would be interested in trying out a more traditional form of reading thanks to their good experience with Ink Console.
Ink Console Is an Exciting News We Will Absolutely Keep an Eye On
The world has never seen a hybrid E-Reader game console yet, so it’s going to be very interesting to see how things will pan out once the device is finally here.
We’ll absolutely be keeping an eye on this news as it develops, so be sure to read our other news articles to keep up with what’s hot and what’s not in the gaming world. Stay tuned and catch the gaming current with GameEels!
