Ouya Game Console Available for Pre-order at Amazon

The gaming industry is no stranger when it comes to new consoles. Recently, the big three (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo) have all announced new consoles, with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 revealed during the 2013 E3 conference.  Smaller companies have also tried to get a slice of the gaming industry and among them is the new Ouya video game console.  The new gaming device was manufactured by BOXER8 and developed by Ouya Inc. It stands apart from other consoles since it’s the only console to run on an Android platform.  The main concept here was to be able to bring your smartphone and tablet games and entertainment to your TV.  Let’s look at the details of this upcoming device, which is arriving towards the end of June 2013.

The concept behind Ouya seems to be that of a Roku or Apple TV streaming device, although this one was created more so for gaming.  Games will be downloaded to the Ouya device, which will sell with a wireless controller for just $99.  Before you run out and place your pre-order at Amazon for one, realize this won’t rival the Sony PS4 or Xbox One in terms of its graphics capabilities, features, or upgradability.

(Above: Ouya device w/controller.  Pre-order details)

Here’s a closer look at the hardware specs on this gaming device:

Ouya Hardware Specifications:
Operating System – Android 4.1 Jellybean
Processor – nVidia Tegra 3 SOC with 1.7 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 Quad-Core
Graphics – nVidia ULP GeForce
RAM – 1 GB DDR3-1600
Internal Storage -8 GB on-board memory
Connectivity – Wi-Fi 802.11bgn and Bluetooth 4.0 support
HDMI with 1080 support, USB 2.0
Weight – 300g
Price – 99$
Release Date – June 25th 2013

The Ouya console has impressive hardware that suits its needs. The console looks like a 4-inch box and has a brushed metal case. It comes with one controller. The controller has a layout like the Xbox 360 controller but with a touchpad area and instead of the usual X, Y, A, B buttons, it uses O, U, Y, A buttons in place. Nevertheless, the controller feels solid and sturdy with a nice grip to it. Reviewers compared its build quality to that of the PS4 and Xbox One. Needless to say, the Ouya does not feel cheap or flimsy. It comes with a great UI, themed Ouya Skin that makes navigation easy. The consoles firmware is regularly updated so support is guaranteed.

Despite being an Android console, the Ouya will not let you play downloaded games from the Google PlayStore but will offer its own exclusive Ouya Store. The console will also use Onlive Cloud platform to let you play other non-android games via Onlive’s cloud network. The console also offers developer the hackability option where developers can modify the existing firmware and hardware to their needs. The Ouya project has received support from other developers such as Square Enix, Namco BANDAI and Infinity Ward who all claimed to have games such as Final Fantasy in development for the console. There are currently over 480 games in development with more to come and about 140 games are already available. Being an android console, it will have built-in emulators for older consoles such as Nintendo or Mame which could appeal to avid old school gamers.

Ouya has also opened its door to providing its users with music entertainment. The music provider VEVO has confirmed to have an application in development to allow users to play music and stream music.  XBMC and TuneIn radio have also confirmed to offer music services.  So it appears there is the potential for this to offer a range of services, similar to the way Roku or other devices operate.

The new console differs from Sony’s PlayStation 4 console and the Microsoft’s Xbox in many ways from its game titles to its support.  It may not be a replacement for your PlayStation or Xbox but it will lighten your living room with games.  It will not require any discs and will also not heat up while gaming.  Reportedly, there isn’t a membership fee to play online. On top of this, it will not be region locked.

As an added advantage, all Ouya games (see latest titles) will be required to have a free option in the sense of offering a trial version or in-app purchases. The PlayStation and Xbox are by far more advanced in terms of better quality games, more powerful hardware, interactive gameplay ways such as Xbox’s Kinect and online multiplayer. In spite of this, many analysts or media have expressed that Ouya’s price will become its strongest advantage over other consoles.

As noted above, the new console is expected to be in retail for consumer use on June 25th, 2013 and will cost just $99 in the United States, with varying prices in other regions.  See more details here at Amazon.

Do you think the Ouya will find its way in the video game market, or becoming a failing device?