JANUARY 2019 PCWorld 93of people reiterating Bell’s claims without
analysis. I can’t find that same cautious
optimism within me.
The Mad Box strikes me as a modern-day
version of the infamous Phantom vaporware
(go.pcworld.com/pva). I’m no analyst, but I
call them like I see them, and the Mad Box’s
bizarre hype push leaves me wary. There have
been weird miscommunications, like Bell
saying it would run VR at 60 frames per second
(go.pcworld.com/vr60), then correcting to 60
frames per eye (literally the same thing;
go.pcworld.com/60pe), then later telling
Variety 120 frames per second (go.pcworld.
com/v12), then changing again to 90 frames
per second (go.pcworld.com/90ps). These
are basic feature announcements, already
blundered, which suggests the Mad Box is
more air than substance right now.
And that’s before we get into the meat of
the proposal, a console on a par with the
Xbox and PlayStation from a company that
currently makes racing sims. Very good racing
sims, sure, but still.
Assuming it’s not vaporware, and assum-
ing Slightly Mad actually releases the damn
thing, then, best case, the Mad Box sounds
like the second coming of Steam Machines
(go.pcworld.com/sma). Valve’s short-lived
platform was console-esque as well. Steam
Machines came with a custom living room–
ready operating system, a custom controller,I miss you, Steam
Machine photo from
some Christmas past.