Small can be beautiful, like a console for $99 that is only slightly larger than a Rubik’s cube kind of beautiful. With all this hype surrounding the next-generation of consoles coming out in the Fall, many new console offerings are being overshadowed by these gaming behemoths.
A recent example from CNN gives us details about the diminutive (in both size and price) OUYA console. The OUYA is a mini console from OUYA, Inc. whose CEO happens to be none other than game industry veteran, Julie Uhrman, of both GameFly and IGN fame. At its core, the OYUA is a tiny, Android powered console Uhrman put on Kickstarter with a $950,000 (USD) goal which was reached in a record-setting eight hours. By the time the Kickstarter campaign was over, they had made over $8 million towards making the OUYA console a reality.
The specs, currently under development, are pretty impressive for something that is smaller than a box of Lo Mein:
- NVIDIA tegra 3 quad-core processor
- 1GB of ram
- 8GB of internal flash storage
- Supports 1080p output via HDMI cable
- 5.1 surround sound
- Wi-Fi 802.1 b/g/n + Ethernet
- Bluetooth
- Micro USB port
- Wireless Bluetooth controller with standard game controls & touchpad
OUYA will also have a “Google Play” store style store, and so far, 7,000 developers have signed up. All titles are to have a free trial period. “We believe that every single game you should try before you buy,” says Uhrman.
The current price for pre-order is $99.99, or your regional equivalent. The console is set to ship in March 2013 for people who backed it on Kickstarter, April 2013 for people who ordered it after February 4th, and at retail in June of 2013.
When the average gamer can typically only afford one console, having a new gaming ecosystem available for the cost equivalent of a game and a half can really add some diversity to your playtime, without taking up any extra shelf space.