Ouya, ouya, shika shikahhh, Review roundup
After kicking off the most successful Kickstarter campaign in gaming history, Ouya finally went up for sale yesterday. The plucky little Android console quickly sold out at retailers nation wide. Reviewers are so far having mixed reactions to the device. Some like it’s open customization and low cost, others wonder if phone games can work on the TV.
Ars writer Florence Ion is optimistic about the Ouya, saying its open nature affords it endless possibilities. The controller was comfy and has great battery life. However, she did not like having to switch between set top and gaming interfaces. The only way to get media playback is through Flex or XBMC. Ars also determined that the Ouya was a lot slower than even some older Android phones, such as the Galaxy SIII. They determined that the Ouya will be nicely accessible to casual gamers due to its low cost and free-to-play model.
The folks at PC Mag were less than impressed with the little box. They derided the controller, stating its touchpad is the worst they’ve ever used. They also disliked the Tegra III APU, stating that it was underpowered in the graphics department, achieving low scores on even low stress benchmarks. It falls far short of contemporary Android phones and tablets. They also had trouble getting external USB storage working. Top that off with a limited official game and app library and the Ouya just failed to win the day. PC Mag gave it “2 out of 5”.
Writer Jim Squires likes the Ouya and says you should probably buy one. It manages to deliver on its promise on fun, free to try indie games in a low cost package. However, he would like to see more original games for the system instead of just phone and tablet ports. They give it 3.5 out of 5.
Ryan Whitman of Android Police didn’t like the Ouya, stating it was light years away from becoming a viable game console. He disliked the lack of games. Getting phone ports to sideload was an exercise in frustration. AP concludes that they don’t know who the Ouya is for. Casual gamers will rather just play the same titles on their phone or tablet. They recommend not buying it.
Be sure to hit up the links for their full reviews.
Image via Ouya Kickstarter
