Somebody’s making a video game console for dogs

A UK start-up is making a video game console for dogs that’s supposed to improve cognitive abilities and help with separation anxiety

A UK-based start-up has announced a new video game console for dogs, and says that it offers a host of benefits for man’s best friend.

As reported by Axios, the Joipaw is a new video game system and health tracker for dogs, which offers simple but stimulating games that are said to offer a wide range of health benefits. Founded by banking expert Dersim Avdar and software developer Marco Jenny, the Joipaw team started the project to keep their dogs busy while they were out.

Avdar says that the project started as a way to keep his wife’s dog Kawet occupied when he and his wife were away from the house. After consulting with scientists, such as animal-computer interaction researcher Clara Mancini, he saw that there might be more to the concept, and started developing it with health benefits in mind.

The games on offer in the Joipaw are simple, with one being a basic whack-a-mole-style game and another simply requires the dog to press its nose on a critter as it crosses the screen. Despite their simplicity, however, Mancini says that the console could help dogs suffering from canine dementia.

The console will incentivise dogs by offering treats, and the games reportedly follow “the latest results in canine scientific research” to help fight separation anxiety and boredom, as well as keep dogs mentally fit. It also collects data points, using the dog’s performance in the games as well as the built-in camera, to provide insights into the dog’s health, which could then be followed up by a veterinarian.

No pricing has been set for the Joipaw yet, and its founders don’t have a time frame set in stone just yet. Avdar says that the company hopes to offer “a wide range of games”, including some that dogs and humans can play together, and that new games will be offered via a subscription service with regular new releases.

The Joipaw console offers a saliva-resistant touchscreen, a treat dispenser, and a camera so owners can keep an eye on their pets. Picture: Joipaw

Those looking for digital pets, on the other hand, might want to think twice about picking up the new Pokemon games, which have arrived “buggy and broken” according to fans. Players have reported issues with the games’ performance, as well as a host of bugs, glitches, and crashes.

Despite that, the buggy Pokemon games have sold 10 million copies in their first weekend on sale, a huge effort that’s broken multiple records. According to Nintendo, the games are the fastest-selling Pokemon games, the fastest-selling Switch games, and even the fastest-selling Nintendo games of all time.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.