MoMA Eve
A vaporware handheld that aimed to play PC games.
The MoMA Eve was a handheld gaming console announced by Via at E3 2004. It was intended to play both PC games and titles made specifically for the device. To play purchased games, users would have needed to buy a SIM card. Its control layout resembled a standard game controller, featuring a D-pad on the left, four action buttons on the right, a central Start button, and two analog sticks. The hardware included a 533 MHz processor, a 20 GB hard drive for games and movies, Wi-Fi, a CompactFlash slot, and a TV-OUT jack. The system encountered a trademark issue in mid-2004 and was never released, making it vaporware.
Internally, the device used a 533-MHz Eden-N CPU with a 133-MHz front-side bus, paired with a 200-MHz S3 Graphics UniChrome Pro integrated graphics processor and 128 MB of DDR266 SDRAM. Storage was handled by a 1.8-inch, 20 GB hard drive capable of 133 MB/s transfer speeds. Audio came from Via Vinyl Audio, supporting six channels, with separate 1/8-inch jacks for headphones and a microphone. A separate 1/8-inch TV-out jack was also present. The system included two USB 2.0 Type-A ports. Power was supplied by two prismatic lithium-ion batteries that fit into two slots in the console and were hot-swappable.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Ministry of Mobile Affairs (MoMA), Meyerhoffer Studios
- Manufacturer
- VIA
- Generation
- Seventh generation of video game consoles
- Price
- Below US$500
- Os
- Windows XP embedded
- Cpu
- 533-MHz Eden-N
- Memory
- 128MB DDR266 SDRAM
- Storage
- 20GB
- Memory Card
- Compact Flash Type II
- Display
- 4" 640x480 TFT LCD
- Graphics
- 200-MHz S3 Graphics UniChrome Pro IGP
- Sound
- Via Vinyl
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The MoMA Eve was unveiled by Via at E3 2004 as a handheld gaming console. It was intended to play both PC games and titles made specifically for the system. To play purchased games, the player would have had to purchase a SIM Card. The console's button layout resembled that of an average video game controller, featuring a D-pad on the left, four action buttons on the right, one Start button in the middle, and two analog sticks. In mid-2004, the console encountered a trademark issue. The system was never released and is considered vaporware.
Reader's Guide
The MoMA Eve is notable primarily as an example of a high-profile vaporware product from the mid-2000s. Presented at E3 2004 by Via, it promised a handheld capable of playing PC games, a feature that set it apart from other portable consoles of the era. Its hardware specifications, including a 533-MHz processor, 128 MB of RAM, a 20 GB hard drive, and Wi-Fi, were competitive for a handheld at the time. The requirement of a SIM Card to play purchased games was an unusual design choice. The trademark issue encountered in mid-2004 likely contributed to its failure to launch. The MoMA Eve never reached consumers, and its legacy is that of an ambitious but unrealized concept, often cited in discussions of canceled or unreleased gaming hardware. Its existence is documented through archived official pages and contemporary tech press.
Did You Know?
- The MoMA Eve was presented by Via at E3 2004.
- Players would have needed to purchase a SIM Card to play purchased games.
- It was powered by two hot-swappable prismatic lithium-ion batteries.
More in Video Game Consoles by Generation, Part 6 1-24
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