The Amstrad GX4000 is a home video game console developed and marketed by Amstrad. It was released exclusively in Europe in September 1990, and was the company's only attempt at entering the console market. As part of the third generation of consoles, it was the first British-manufactured programmable games console. Development was based heavily on Amstrad's existing CPC Plus home computer range, with which it shared hardware architecture. This allowed for an easier transition of software, although many of the console's games were direct ports with minimal enhancements. The system featured improved graphical capabilities compared to earlier Amstrad computers and came with custom-designed gamepads, a sleek futuristic design, and support for RGB output—a feature uncommon among consoles at the time. Despite its technical advantages and a marketing budget of £20 million, the GX4000 suffered from a poor commercial performance. Critics and consumers cited its limited and unimpressive game library, many of which were simplistic CPC ports, as a major drawback compared to the richer offerings from Sega and Nintendo. The console was quickly discontinued within a year of release, and it has since become a curiosity of British gaming history, often cited as an example of a commercial failure in the home console market.

Voir sur Wikipedia