The Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and it has forced the two opposing sides to improvise weapons during the conflict. That’s why the European Union is reportedly proposing a ban on all video game console sales to Russia.
As reported by Financial Times, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas indicated that PlayStation and Xbox consoles may land on the sanctions list because Russia has used them to “operate drones.”
Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony stopped selling their consoles in Russia in March 2022, roughly a month after the Russian invasion began. However, that didn’t stop second-hand sellers from getting consoles to Russian buyers. The proposed sanctions would be aimed at closing off that loophole.
An article in the New York Times from last summer demonstrated Ukraine forces using Steam Decks to control gun turrets, as well as unmanned drones on the ground and in the sky. Russia has utilized video game technology in similar ways while unleashing relentless drone attacks on Ukraine’s cities and utilities. Military use of video game controllers isn’t uncommon, as even US forces utilized them for laser canons and drones.
Late last year, Russian propaganda accused Stalker 2 of being used as a recruiting tool for Ukraine’s military. There are even said to be plans for Russia to build video game consoles of its own, since the major systems won’t be coming back there anytime soon.
