The conflict initiated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced in February 2022, compelling both sides to adaptively develop weapons in response to the warfare. Consequently, the European Union is reportedly considering a prohibition on the sale of all video game consoles to Russia.
According to Financial Times, EU foreign policy leader Kaja Kallas suggested that PlayStation and Xbox consoles could be included in the sanctions list as Russia has used them to “operate drones.”
Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony halted the sales of their consoles in Russia in March 2022, approximately a month following the invasion. However, this did not stop second-hand vendors from supplying consoles to Russian buyers. The proposed sanctions aim to eliminate this loophole.
An article in the New York Times from last summer showed Ukrainian forces utilizing Steam Decks to control weapon turrets, alongside drones both on land and in the air. Russia has similarly employed video game technology in its operations while executing aggressive drone strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. The usage of game controllers by military forces is not unprecedented; in fact, U.S. military forces have used them for laser weapons and drones.
Last year, Russian propaganda claimed that Stalker 2 was being used as a recruitment tool for Ukraine’s military. There are even reports of initiatives for Russia to create its own video game consoles, as the most popular systems are unlikely to return there anytime soon.
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