Ouya, the Android-based microconsole that captured a wave of financial support on crowdfunding site Kickstarter, is only a few more months away from its retail debut.
Target, Best Buy, Amazon, and GameStop confirmed they will begin selling the TV gaming device in June for $99.99, according to The Wall Street Journal. Amazon and GameStop opened preorders for the system and controllers today. Extra controllers go for $49.99 each.
Ouya is a small console box that connects to HD televisions through an HDMI port. This brings Android gaming to the living room and takes the focus away from touch-screen controls. The device has its own digital distribution store that will curate controller-optimized games.
The creators also promised customers that the system is fully open and hackable. This will allow users to load any Android program that they choose, which could include pirated games and emulators for classic consoles like the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64.
Ouya is the highest grossing gaming-related Kickstarter in the site’s history. The project had a goal of $950,000 and raised more than $8.5 million.
This success suggests a demand from gamers for alternatives to the traditional systems from Nintendo and Microsoft. At the same time, Ouya has its work cut out if it intends to compete against Valve’s PC gaming service Steam and new hardware from Microsoft and Sony by the end of this year.
Via The Verge