The company behind the Android-powered console that secured a massive $8.6 million in funding from the crowd funding website KickStarter last year has confirmed that it will be selling and shipping the sub-£100 console to the US and UK from March onwards, bringing a new form of games console to the masses.
The OUYA will retail at $99 in the US and a similar (although terribly converted) £99 for UK fans in March as company sources have leaked information to tech website Pocket-Lint.
The official OUYA website says pre-orders will ship in April, but if the sources are correct we may be getting our hands on the Android beauty sooner than April.
It’s easy to see why people are excited about the new console, with its impressive hardware that includes a Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of internal flash storage and a HDMI connection for TVs in 1080p high definition. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity are also available and the device features a USB 2.0 port for external devices.
What the OUYA really signifies is a change in console gaming to a more open field and cheaper crowd-funded experience. With the gaming industry now bigger than the film industry in terms of money, it’s good to see a change being put in place by new companies and customers helping this change come to life via crowd funding systems.
What’s more, the sources are also revealing that after the OUYA games console is released in 2013 the company is planning on following up the first device with another for later in the year; one that’s capable of outputting stereoscopic 3D content.
When the console is released it will be sold via the OUYA website and as an exclusive with Amazon.com for the initial release, although it may be worthwhile for UK customers to order the console direct from the OUYA website as it will still work out under £100 with its $99 (£61.60) plus $20 (£12.44) shipping fee totalling under £75.