Ouya review

[Administrator]

Kickstarted to the tune of $8.5 million, the Ouya console is one of crowdfunding's high-profile success stories. Depending on who you listen to, it's also the system to pull the rug from beneath Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo and forever shake up the video game industry as we know it. It liberates players, empowers developers and creates a brave new world for interactive entertainment - or so we're told, at least. The hyperbole that has been written about Ouya would make the most seasoned spin doctor blush, but before you allow yourself to become too swept up in the hype, it's worth remembering that when all is said and done, Ouya is just Android in a set-top box - and we've already spoken about how potentially disappointing that particular reality could be.
Cutting through the rabid anticipation, Ouya does have a lot going for it. The console has been designed by Yves Béhar, it has a dedicated gaming-focused controller and is powered by Nvidia's Tegra 3 chipset - and to cap it all off, it will retail for a penny less than £100 when it launches in the UK later this month. In the US, it's a snip at $99. If Android is ever going to claim a place underneath your 50-inch LCD, this is surely its best chance - but does Ouya really pose a legitimate challenge to your PS3 and Xbox 360? Answering that question is predictably difficult at this early stage in the system's life, but we'll give it a go regardless.
In purely physical terms, Ouya is small. The first thing likely to strike you when you open the packaging and remove the touching "Thank You" note inserted by the team behind the console is just how diminutive the system is. Compared to traditional gaming hardware, it's absolutely tiny, although at 300 grams it has a heft which makes it feel solid and expensive. Béhar's design is destined to divide opinion: the minimalist appearance ensures it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb when placed next to your Blu-ray player and surround system, but a little more pizazz wouldn't have gone amiss. Still, there's a subtle, almost understated beauty to the machine, thanks to its glossy black top and sand-blasted aluminium casing. Around the back, you'll find an array of ports and outputs. HDMI, USB, Micro USB, Ethernet and power cables all dock here.
Read more…


More...