On the opening day of the Solana Breakpoint 2025 event held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, AltCoinDesk had the opportunity to speak with Play Solana CEO Jay. At the event, the company unveiled its first web3-focused handheld gaming device, which combines the nostalgia of Game Boy with the modernity of blockchain-based gaming.
To give specifications about the gaming device, it comes pre-installed with a crypto wallet, offers fingerprint unlock, touch screen, and a wide range of games built on the Solana ecosystem.
The gaming device, called PSG1, can support 20 to 30 games and allows memory expansion through an SD card. The device can also be connected to Wi-Fi, allowing users the ability to download new games and update firmware.
During the conversation, Jay spoke about Play Solana Origins, a Pokemon-inspired role-playing game that chronicles Solana’s journey from its inception to Breakpoint 2021. Jay added that the second chapter of the game is planned to extend the story until 2022.
Sharing his thoughts, Jay remarked that he personally prefers action games. He displayed a game that was reminiscent of a classic Nintendo action game.
Besides gaming, the device comes with certain web3 features, including a crypto wallet. This allows users to manage and secure their digital assets directly on the device.
Jay went on to say that in the coming months, Play Solana aims to add more gaming titles to its growing library. Giving a mild teaser, Jay noted that the new games would include DeFi-inspired, gamified trading decentralized applications (dApps).
Notably, Play Solana is also planning to launch a hackathon with 50,000 USDC up for grabs to incentivize developers to build new games for the gaming device. An upcoming release is a web3 battle royale, currently in its beta phase.
