Following rumors that upgraded versions of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are in the making, a new gaming console is throwing its hat into the ring. Tech companies Riot Games, Intel, and Haier, have unveiled that the Blade Box, a gaming console based on the Tencent TGP Box.

The companies claim that the Box will change how people perceive traditional gaming consoles. The console runs on Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system with the Tencent Games Platform overlay. At the heart of the Blade Box is a sixth-generation Intel processor, but it has not been confirmed whether an i3, i5, or i7 will be used.

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According to some leaked images of the Blade Box, it does not sport the traditional console design. The console features curved edges and also has a different front and back layout. However, the controller looks hauntingly familiar to the Xbox One controller.

The design is not the only thing that is peculiar about this Blade Box console. Rumors have it that the console supports downloading and streaming of games. It is also expected to support live stream gaming sessions and the so-called TGP Box mode which switches the console from the traditional gaming mode to Windows 10 mode.

Riot Games is a subsidiary of Tencent, a holding company which is well-known in multimedia, Internet, and mobile phone platforms. Some of the games expected to be released for the Blade Box are "League of Legends," "FIFA Online 3," "NBA 2K Online," "Monster Hunter Online," and "Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Tournament."

As of this writing, it is still unknown whether the Blade Box will eventually find its way to the Western market since Tencent is known to deal mostly in the Asian market, particularly China. 

China lifted its ban on console gaming last year, opening up a huge potential market.

TagsIntel, Riot Games, Haier, Console, gaming console, Tencent gaming console, Tencent console, TGP console, Tencent Gaming Platform