ApeXtreme nForce2 Games Console

The ApeXtreme console, manufactured by China’s Apex Digital Inc., is the first system to use DISCover software. Designed to function as a standard living room game console compatible with most television sets, ApeXtreme allows players to simply insert a PC game disc and start playing. The first time a game is inserted it automatically installs itself and adjusts game settings to their ideal positions for play on the ApeXtreme console. After installation, every time a game disc is inserted it simply starts up and goes straight to the main menu screen.Players can also set up the system to automatically check for and install current hardware drivers and game patches to ensure that both the ApeXtreme system and their games are always up-to-date.

The ApeXtreme system is a self-contained unit with an unalterable hardware profile, which means it will slowly become outdated as games with more demanding requirements are released. While the system’s existing AMD AthlonXP2000+ processor chip, NVIDIA nForce2 IGP graphics processor, and 256MB of DDR RAM ensure that most current PC games look and play fairly well, games released a year or two down the road may not fare so well on ApeXtreme. And, at nearly $700 (Cdn.), the ApeXtreme could be a difficult sell to console gamers used to spending less than $300 for a game system.

Ultimate Game Gear @ Globe Technology