OuyaThe first one of these
Android-powered gaming consoles to be widely successful. The Ouya runs
on a Tegra 3 chipset, which was Nvidia’s flagship mobile chip last year.
With this and the 1GB of RAM, the Ouya has enough juice in it to play
even hardcore high-end games.
The Ouya is probably the most popular among these consoles
The games on the Ouya are going to be free-to-play, with many
games using their own different ways to make money, including the use of
ads and in-app purchases. Currently, the Ouya boasts 200 games on its
game store. It is available through online retail channels like Amazon.
GamePopThe
GamePop has two variations: the regular one and a GamePop Mini. The
developers have jokingly referred to the difference in size by comparing
the regular GamePop to Vin Diesel’s fist, and the GamePop Mini being
the size of a pack of bubble gum.
Instead of selling games, the
GamePop has its own subscription-based service that essentially gives
you access to its entire game library as long as you pay the
subscription fee. The regular GamePop is currently available for free if
you commit to a one-year subscription, but after Sunday, you’ll have to
separately buy the console for $129. The monthly subscription costs
$6.99. After Sunday, just paying the subscription fee will get you the
GamePop Mini for free.
As big as Vin Diesel's fist
The GamePop Mini is said to be just as capable as the GamePop at
playing games. However, it lacks some of the ports that the regular
GamePop has and will not be compatible with all of the accessories that
will eventually be released for the GamePop.
GameStickThe
GameStick focuses on portability above all else. The console itself is
no bigger than a regular USB flash drive. It plugs into the HDMI port on
any HDTV, and if the TV is MHL-compatible, it also draws power from the
same port. For older TVs that aren’t compatible with MHL, the GameStick
comes with a USB cable as well as a power adapter.
The
GameStick, when not in use, can be put away snuggly in a compartment in
the controller. The controller itself bears a striking resemblance to
the old NES controllers of days gone by, albeit with analogue sticks.
Hardly bigger than a USB flash drive
PlayJam, the developers of GameStick, are working with many
Android developers to bring games to the GameStick, as well as make them
compatible with the GameStick’s controller. The console has 1GB of DDR3
RAM with 8GB of in-built storage, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n support, Bluetooth
4.0, support for mouse and keyboard setup and full 1080p HD video
decoding.
The GameStick has a significant edge over its competitors owing to the $79 price tag.
ShieldShield
is Nvidia’s take on an Android-based dedicated gaming device. It is a
handheld with a familiar DualShock-esque button layout. It has a 5-inch
display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. Under the hood, it’s
powered by the Tegra 4 chip, which is Nvidia’s latest competitor to
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 chips. The Shield is set to hit stores in July
and will cost $299 (Rs 18,120 approx).
Other than the fact that
the Shield can run more-or-less any Android game under the sun, one of
its most interesting features is the ability to "stream" the game you
are playing on your PC on to the Shield. However, this requires an
Nvidia GeForce GTX 680 or higher on the computer. Nvidia has shown off
this capability with games like Borderlands 2.
The Shield is a handheld system
Google’s consoleIt has been recently
reported that Google is now working on its own version of an
Android-based gaming console. Though not much is known about what the
search giant is working on right now, it could be worth speculating a
bit. The company will undoubtedly use top-of-the-line hardware for its
hypothetical console, and it will no doubt run on the latest version of
Android. It could even be based on the Nexus Q.
Google's console might end up being based on the Nexus Q, design-wise