A new video game system is shipping to players, and although the Ouya console is not a PS4 or the Xbox 720, it's a unique platform that seems to capture the feeling these days that the game industry is wide open.
As the first versions of the Ouya console start making their way to those Kickstarter backers who funded the project, though, that feeling is about to be put under intense scrutiny. Ouya, a fully hackable gaming platform for $99, sounds pretty fantastic as an abstract, pie-in-the-sky Kickstarter dream. How does it fare as reality?
A couple of Ouya console reviews are starting to make their way online and, if first impressions are any indication, it's not a pretty picture. The review by The Verge is particularly tough, scoring the Ouya console a measly 3.5 out of 10 and bluntly pointing out its shortcomings throughout. The controller needs work, feedback between it and the console lags, there are zero new games or killer titles for the system.
"This is a product with some good ideas and a potentially promising future, but it's a million miles away from something worth spending your money on," David Pierce wrote. "Even if the concept is right, the Ouya misses the mark."
"The controller needs work, the interface is a mess, and have I mentioned there's really nothing to do with the thing? I'm not even sure the concept is right, either: there are plenty of fun Android games, but currently few that work well with a controller and even fewer that look good on your television."
Engadget echoed many of the same thoughts, noting the controller lag and lack of new games. The Ouya console boasts about 104 games right out of the box, but the fact is that they're all already available on other systems. And some, like Final Fantasy III, have been around for years. Sure, you can hack it and play Mario Kart, but even then ... you can do that on any Nintendo console that's been released in the last 20 years.
While Ouya has emphasized the fact that the system will get better with each iteration, "The version of OUYA shipping now should be considered a beta release, and anyone hoping for anything more is in for some disappointment," Tim Stevens wrote. "It's simply not ready for retail. The system is rough around the edges in many ways, quite literally when regarding the controller, but the interface and menus also could use work."
Looks like the PS4 and Xbox 360 can breathe easy for now.
