California, the biggest state in the US when it comes to both population and the sheer volume of tech companies squeezed into its borders, has just passed the country’s most extreme right to repair bill in the US (via Ars Technica). It’s the third state to pass such a bill, but goes further than either Minnesota or New York in that it forces companies to support their products for longer. But while it will cover gaming PCs and laptops, games console manufacturers get a free pass.
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There are exceptions, however, and it seems like games consoles are somehow exempt from this right to repair requirement. Guess someone’s been lobbying against the inclusion of consoles, eh? The bill itself talks specifically about an “electronic or appliance product” or just a “product”, but stipulates that doesn’t include a video game console.
“‘Video game console’ means a computing device, including its components and peripherals, that is primarily used by consumers for playing video games, such as a console machine, a handheld console device, or another device or system. ‘Video game console’ does not include a general or an all-purpose computer, which includes, but is not limited to, a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or cell phone.”
So, that means your Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch consoles are all seemingly exempt from having to offer long term support, but at least in the computing space your PC and laptop will be covered.
Did Apple figure out a way to classify iPhones and Macs as game consoles then?
Unless it switches to primarily being used for playing games that is a no.
That said that presentation (and some othe previous stuff)… make some suspect that an apple console that is only digital and pulls from their store isn’t that far fetched nowadays. Or s new apple tv more gaming oriented I guess.
Why yes! My product the Google iPixel ZFold 15 is a gaming console! You would think it’s a phone because of the calling and phone-like features however it is exempt from right-to-repair because it plays Genshin with more fraps than any other gizmo and doohicky in anyone’s pocket in this hemisphere!
And you would be remiss to assume my Grapple ThinkPad 2025 is a mere laptop! Nay! A gaming console it is! It can’t even run the Chrome Dinosaur for 35 seconds without running out of RAM and is really built for content creation and the school setting in mind, but it is absolutely built for gaming and also omitted from right-to-repair!!
Console vendors, particularly Nintendo absolutely hate it when someone tries to thinker with their products. There was a Darknet Diaries podcast from August 1 named ‘Team Xecuter’ that gives some insight into this. Funnily enough, not every country is encouraging this behavior from Nintendo like the U.S. is. France is pretty lenient on console modders, for example.
Nintendo of America must have paid $$$ to the politicians
Because fuck you peasants… What you are gonna about it, bitches?