Ouya isn’t the only Android microconsole storming the market this year. Mobile publisher PlayJam is sending out its GameStick console to Kickstarter backers this month with a wider release planned for this spring.
For the unaware, GameStick is a $79 USB-stick-sized HDMI gaming console that plugs directly into the back of a high-definition television. It supports full HD gaming with its own Android game store that will specialize in titles optimized for the GameStick’s physical controller.
With the gadget finally shipping out to developers, PlayJam prepared an unboxing video for your pleasure:
The video shows off the new developer user interface. PlayJam is nearly finished designing the U.I. It just wants to make a few more tweaks based on user input.
“We are making some last-minute changes to the latest version before we ship it to our Designed By Me Backers for feedback,” PlayJam chief marketing officer Anthony Johnson told GamesBeat. “These include dropping some of the subtle 3D elements we had previously scoped to increase the real-estate and make it simpler to navigate.”
During the Kickstarter campaign, PlayJam offered up 50 Designed By Me GameStick consoles for people who contributed $300. Those backers will get a chance to provide feedback on the final consumer interface.
The unboxing also briefly shows the APK installer that developers can use to install any APK (Android application package file) to their GameStick.
Johnson told us that they don’t plan to include the APK installer with the final consumer system, but a third-party solution is bound to pop up on the GameStick app store. This enables GameStick owners to install any Android app (PlayJam approved or not) on their Android microconsole.