The first dedicated Android gaming console is finally in the wild. Ouya, the Kickstarted microconsole, is a tiny device that connects to HDTVs and enables gamers to play Android-based titles with a controller.
[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":733489,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,","session":"D"}']Crowdfunding backers are getting their systems now, so the folks at Ouya sent one of the units to iFixit, a electronics-repair company, so it could tear it down and take a look inside.
The big news is that tiny device has a simple and sturdy layout that should resist damage from drops. Ouya owners can also replace the fan easily since it is the only moving part that is subject to wear.
“The small cube — and its controller — came apart with little difficulty,” iFixit chief information analyst MIroslav Djuric said in a statement. “Those with long-haired pets will appreciate that it takes about five minutes to pop open and clean out the heatsink and fan. As a result of its disassembility, the Ouya scored a stellar 9 out of 10 on the repairability scale.”
As for the console’s internals, iFixit listed the make and model of the most important components:
- Two Samsung K4B4G1646B 4Gb DD3 SDRAM modules (2 x 4 Gb for 1GB of total RAM)
- SMSC LAN9500A Hi-Speed USB 2.0 to 10/100 Ethernet Controller
- Texas Instruments TPS659110 Integrated Power Management Unit
- AzureWave AW-NH660 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 4.0 module, based on Broadcom BCM4330
- Nvidia T33-P-A3 Tegra 3 Multicore CPU
- Kingston KE4CN3K6A 8 GB eMMC
For gamers, your biggest concern is that Tegra 3 chip from Nvidia. That’s the most capable version of the Tegra 3. Earlier models, used in Asus’s Transformer Prime tablets, suffered from crashing due to the system’s inability to handle the heat produced by its 1.7 GHz speeds. The T33 can handle much more heat even while running at upwards of 2 GHz.
Ouya is available now to preorder for $99.99. Retailers, like Best Buy and Target, will begin carrying it in July.