The Ouya console runs on Android OS and has a NVidia Tegra 3 quad core processor as its powerhouse. It has 1 GB of RAM with 8GB of storage which you can increase using a USB. While that's not bad, it's also not that great either. Julie Uhrman, CEO of Ouya, has stated that there will be hardware updates on an annual basis to ensure that the console is kept up to date.
The design of the console is indeed very attractive. Designed by Yves Behar, the Ouya is a surprisingly small box with beautiful curved edges and its overall size is comparable to the Roku. It has a USB port, ethernet, power cable port and a port for the HDMI cable which ships with the console. The controller has two analog sticks, a directional pad, a touchpad in the center,shoulder buttons and trigger controls at the back. Some consumers have complained about the touchpad being too sensitive to use for navigation while there are no uses for it in gameplay as there aren't any games using the feature yet. This may change in the future though as developers come to terms with what they can accomplish on the Ouya.
Speaking of game developers, one of the main features of the Ouya is the fact that it runs on Android which is an open platform. It can therefore be heavily modded if you know what you're doing and this is also great for independent game developers. Ouya has made it possible for anyone to publish a game which in my view is great and will encourage creativity in the kind of games being published. There is one restriction in game development in that users must have the opportunity to download and play a free demo version of any game before they decide to make the full purchase.
There are currently about 200 games in the Ouya store and while many of them are currently not up to scratch, there are a few nice titles. First off we have the more well known titles such as Final Fantasy, Sonic the Hedgehog and You Don't Know Jack. Added to these are games like Beast Boxing Turbo and Chrono Blade. Yes, pretty slim pickings as of now but I do expect this to pick up in the future.
Overall the Ouya console is okay but it falls short in a few categories most notable of which are the games being currently offered. Since it is a new platform, I expect this to pick up soon so the Ouya does indeed have great potential. It is certainly priced right and for the hackers and indie game fans among us, it is a great buy. For the general consumer though, it needs more time to develop. As promised earlier, check out the unboxing vid courtesy of IGN below and feel free to leave your questions and comments.
*Images Courtesy Urustar
