The Ouya console that was the darling of Kickstarter for us Android fans earlier in the year is still very much headed for its 2013 launch and they’ve just announced another update for us all. These progress reports are what keep Ouya fresh in our mind and reassure all those who pledged that the console is still alive and kicking. Right now, the device has ditched Ice Cream Sandwich for Jelly Bean and while it’s not clear whether this will mean 4.1 or 4.2, either is good enough an upgrade on top of Ice Cream Sandwich and should make that $99 even tastier when it hits shelves.
As well as this, the progress report has confirmed that the device is in the EVT stage. The Engineering Verification Testing phase will guarantee that the hardware is good enough to go forward with and once this is complete the SDK – Software Development Kit – for a December launch, which is sure to make it easy for developers to get their games ready for the early 2013 launch. It’s interesting to see such a project come together and something I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot about over these next months. When it comes down to it the Ouya may well be successful in the living room like no other home console except the Xbox.
It’s no secret that Microsoft have locked down our living rooms but, with the stellar price of $99 here it could well sneak in and take some of Microsoft’s thunder. The console won’t be shipping with the usual UI we’re used to and will instead feature a main button on the controller that will open a menu not all that unlike the Xbox’s in-game dash.
Ouya have also advised developers that are looking at bringing their games to the platform that if they want to see how they perform before the SDK hits they should test on a Tegra 3 packing tablet. Making the Nexus 7 the perfect candidate considering their price and easy availability. So, what do we think, is this shaping up to be your next gadget purchase, or something more than that?