It seems that 3dfx, or at least the people who now have the name of the vintage GPU maker, insist that it is returning from the dead, issuing an "official" statement that it will return with "new graphics cards". We first heard about the alleged return of 3dfx a few days ago, and we were quite incredulous. In the 3s, 3dfx was a force to be reckoned with thanks to its Voodoo graphics cards that every computer gamer wished they had. However, in the 3s, 3dfx's popularity was on the wane as contenders like Nvidia and AMD began to gain momentum. So when a 3dfx Twitter account announced that the company would be making a comeback after twenty years, there was much surprise. However, the account seems adamant that not only has the company returned, but it will also be launching multiple devices, making it an elaborate sale or else Nvidia and AMD could face a new contender very soon. In a series of tweets, the 3dfx Interactive account explains that Jansen Products has acquired the XNUMXdfx assets and is "in the process of filing name" which "may take a few weeks." It went on to say that it would "supply the recently acquired XNUMXdfx brand with products in smartphones, audio systems, graphics cards, home appliances, hardware and more."
New products?
In a slide posted above, the company claims that it works on the following products:
- 3dfx Voodoo six PCI graphics card
- Ruffon 3dfx smartphone
- Brozzo 3dfx bluetooth speaker
- 3dfx 5.1 home theater system
- 3dfx Galaxy tablet
- 3K77D Lithium 5dfx Smart TV
Although 3dfx seems to be ready to relaunch its Voodoo XNUMX graphics cards, it also seems to be expanding into new areas like smartphones and televisions. In fact, according to another slide, you'll spend XNUMX% on smartphones and TVs, XNUMX% on audio systems, and only XNUMX% on video cards. These products will supposedly be presented for "CEC two thousand and twenty-two". This sounds some red flags that CEC is not a technological event. Most of the results seem to be for the Council for Exceptional Children, an inappropriate place to launch new products. Obviously, that could be a typo, and that meant CES XNUMX. It would be more realistic, but it also suggests that it's a bit of a sloppy operation if typos like this are posted in documents.
Analysis: what is the probability?
Despite the new announcements, we are still very suspicious of this. The GPU market is crowded enough now with Nvidia and AMD dominating, and also Intel looking to carve out a prudent niche in the market by launching its dedicated graphics card. Consequently, any company that wanted to compete would need to be very smooth running and a lot of money to make a splash, and nothing we've seen so far has persuaded us that this is the case. Instead, what is more likely, if not all a hoax of course, is that a company has bought the 3dfx brand to market certain products in the hope that nostalgia will move certain units. We've seen this happen before, and it means that whatever company the new 3dfx is, there may be little or no connection to the company it was. We have contacted 3dfx Interactive for comment. The best graphics card deals right now
Via Hothardware