There are a lot of video games out there. And along with all those games that come out, there are a ton that get cancelled, or simply disappear from their development cycles with no further news to be had. But, video games aren't the only thing that get cancelled in the gaming world. Although there are basically just a few major console companies these days and we don't hear a lot about other consoles being announced or cancelled, that wasn't always the case.
Throughout the years there have been a number of video gaming consoles and systems that have been announced and then, unfortunately, were cancelled. These consoles have reached various levels of development before it was announced we'd never actually get our hands on them. Some of them seemed pretty cool, so it's disappointing we'll never get to play them. But, it's a fun part of gaming history to learn more about. To see 10 cancelled gaming consoles you'll never get to play, keep reading!
10 Konix Multisystem
The Konix Multisystem was first announced back in 1988 and was more of a video game accessory than a simple console. It was designed to have everything that the player could need to enjoy their favorite games from a chair. From joysticks to pedals, and other peripherals, it truly had it all. It was designed to be customized to have various different accessories that could be used on it.
Instead of just being a peripheral, the company started to change their plans and expand to being a console rather than just a unique controller. They wanted to make this device incredibly immersive and bring the arcade experience home. Unfortunately, it was repeatedly delayed and eventually cancelled.
9 Atari Game Brain
Atari is a big name in the world of retro gaming. Many people think of Atari when they think about the early days of home video game consoles, but not many people know that they weren't always successful with their launches. One of their consoles that never even made it to launch was the Atari Game Brain.
The Game Brain was announced in the late 1970s and would play 10 different Atari games that had previously been exclusively available on dedicated players. These games naturally included Pong and Video Pinball. It was never released, but three prototypes are known to exist in the world.
8 Nintendo PlayStation
The Nintendo PlayStation, also known as the Super NES CD-ROM, was announced in 1991 and was Nintendo's attempt to make the leap from cartridge-based games and consoles to disc-based ones. Instead of being a full-on console, this was simply an add-on for the SNES that would allow players to play disc versions of games on their console. In order to make this happen, Nintendo worked with Sony to create the accessory.
Unfortunately, the Super NES CD-ROM was never released, and eventually Sony came out with their own disc-based gaming console, the PlayStation. A prototype of the Nintendo PlayStation was found in 2015, proving that this unexpected collaboration wasn't just a rumor.
7 Infinium Labs Phantom
Cloud gaming is something that has been more and more of a focus of many companies in recent years. From Google Stadia to Sony's PlayStation Now, quite a few companies have been trying to make on-demand gaming happen.
In 2004, Infinium Labs tried their hand at the market with the announcement of their console, the Phantom. This console was way ahead of its time and was supposed to allow players to play PC games through streaming rather than buying the disc and playing them the traditional way. The Phantom was never really marketed widely after they announced the price of the console and subscription. Eventually, the project was cancelled.
6 Intellivision III
The Intellivision III was announced in 1982. The first Intellivision was released in 1979 and was created as a competitor to the Atari 2600, one of the most popular early video game consoles. A few years later, the Intellivision II was released and was simply a cheaper, slightly smaller version of the original console without any real upgrades.
When they announced the Intellivision III, it was supposed to be a real successor to their first console with some serious upgrades. It was designed to have better controllers, better graphics, and all kinds of high-tech features worthy of being called a successor to their first console. It was cancelled in 1983 when a decline in the video gaming market left the company struggling to continue with development.
5 Sega Pluto
Some game consoles were heavily marketed and there's a good amount of information out about them now, even though they were cancelled. But then, there are some consoles that we know basically nothing about. The Sega Pluto is a console that falls into the second category.
The Sega Pluto is an unreleased console that was designed to be a variant of the Sega Saturn. The only real information out there about it is the fact that it was a Saturn console with a built-in internet modem. It was revealed online by a former Sega employee and was apparently in development prior to the Sega Dreamcast.
4 Atari Cosmos
Development on this console started in 1978, during the height of Atari's popularity as a console developer. This handheld console relied on holographic images to accent the gameplay. The holographic images were not actually of the gameplay but were specific images that depended on the game.
The Atari Cosmos was going to have nine games that were compatible with it, including Space Invaders and Asteroids, but these cartridges were said to contain nothing but the holographic images that went with the game. The console was cancelled in 1981 and is now an incredibly rare and sought after collector's item.
3 Ultravision Video Arcade System
The Ultravision Video Arcade System was announced in 1983 and was supposed to combine a gaming console, a full-color TV, and a personal computer into one device. The VAS had a 10" color TV, was said to play cartridge games, and users could either plug in a keyboard or joysticks, depending on whether they wanted to use the computer function or the video game functionality.
Unfortunately, after a prototype was created and the console was announced, it was cancelled and development went no further.
2 Action Gamemaster
The Action Gamemaster is an unreleased handheld console that was created by Active Enterprises, the company known for making the super rare Action 52 cartridge for the NES. The Action Gamemaster was showcased at the 1994 Consumer Electronics Show and it was said to play games from a variety of different consoles.
Unfortunately for people that would have loved a handheld console to play their Sega and SNES games on, this console never went beyond the initial announcement and prototype.
1 Taito WoWoW
Taito created a variety of different arcade games, and even some console games beginning in the 1970s. Although Taito is still working on games now, primarily in Japan, one thing that many people forget is the fact that they tried to dip their toes into the world of consoles once, too.
In 1992, Taito showed off their WoWoW at the Tokyo Toy Show. The WoWoW was supposed to be a revolutionary console that would stream games to the console from a satellite and would charge people based on how long they spent playing the game. Unfortunately, technical limitations in the early 1990s like download speed forced Taito to abandon the idea and cancel the WoWoW.