First Impressions: OUYA Open Source gaming console

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

I was interested in trying out the $99.00 OUYA console mainly because it pushes a daring paradigm for gaming as a whole. The tiny Android-based device leverages open source systems, cloud computing and an independent game publishing model that sounded refreshing and felt like a new direction worth pursuing.

Personally, I'm tired of having to fork over $60.00 each time a new marquee game comes out and while I understand there are costs involved in producing, publishing and distributing great games, I'd much rather buy them used at a discounted price. That way if they suck, I won't feel like I am on the losing end.

OUYA is one of the most popular Kickstarter campaigns to come to fruition. The idea was to develop a low-cost console powerful of running the types of games popular on tablets and smartphones but that could be experienced on a big screen. All games have free-to-play versions so anyone can try and then buy if they like them.

While I didn't  back the Kickstarter campaign, I did fork over my birthday money via Amazon.com to get an OUYA console as well as two controllers.

Hardware

The hardware of the console itself is cleverly designed. About the size of a Rubik's cube with a half-square, half-sphere shape made of aluminum and shiny plastic, it looks pretty cool. The controller, which is wireless, is a sleek affair with the battery covers locking to the rest of the controller via magnet.

While the design is spirited and well-conceptualized, the execution, fit and finish are very poor. The plastic seams of the console matchup well with the aluminum parts in some places but they are misaligned in others. There's an inevitable cheapness to the build quality that you can feel simply by picking it up and running your fingers through the device.

The controller is even worse. The trigger buttons stick during gameplay, resounding with the shoddy sound of a poorly connected spring. The travel and feedback of the keys just feels bad and far inferior to controllers from the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 4. I am aware that OUYA isn't competing with those two consoles, or even the Wii, but there are serious quality control issues here. Still, I can't hate on the intent to bring something fresh. The controller features a trackpad as well as an efficient way to pair and stay connected to the console.

I just feel like OUYA's hardware right now is like a well designed Hollywood movie set that's breathtaking from a distance, but once you get up close and personal, you realize it is a superbly staged illusion. 

Set Up

OUYA is remarkably easy to set-up. Plug in the power supply, connect to HDTV via included HDMI port and then connect the controller (you can, thankfully, also use controllers from the XBox 360). A brief sofware update will bring up an installation screen that's very Android-like in look and feel, this is the only instance where you are reminded that you are running Google's smartphone OS.

You need to enter your credit card information before continuing, talk about buzzkill. But that is needed in order for you to buy the games to play beyond the trial period. After that is done, the interface is quite fast and responsive.

Games

It is all about the games at this point and while the selection is intially impressive, you quickly realize that this whole scene is very much in its early days.

The majority of the games seem to derive inspiration from 8-bit or 16-bit games of yesteryear, others are similar to iPad games or Android games we've already played. Still, there's a good range to discover, but as many other publications have already noted, no standout titles.

There's no marquee brawler, no desirable racing title, no addictive Bejeweled-like games and these are all great opportunities for developers to make their mark. The lack of any standout sports games, however, is a big negative since those games usually bring in scores of loyal users.

It is not all bad news. There's a lot of stuff to try out here. An early favourite was the liquid and physics game Puddle which is brilliant fun (but also exposes the crappy feel and response of the controller's buttons). Bombsquad, another port from iOS, is another game I happily played and paid $4.99 for. Being able to play this game in HD on a bigger screen.

Aside from the games in the OUYA ecosystem, there's the promise of emulation via various programs as well as apps that can be used to stream video or check the weather.

Each OUYA sold can also be used as a developer machine, a big plus since anyone can create, develop, debug as needed. OUYA has also been designed to be completely hackable. With a 1.7 GHz Quad Core ARM Cortex A9 processor, 1 GB of RAM and 8GB of storage and an Nvidia GeForce ULP GPU sideloading apps or even installing opearating systems like Chrome OS, Ubuntu or others is a possibility.

Me, I'm still in it for the games. I love the idea that developers can create or at least port some of the engrossing and fun games out there into this media-free new model. While I maintain that the hardware needs some serious fixing, OUYA's biggest hurdle is getting quality content into the system or at least ensuring there are many fun alternative ways to use the device.

I am willing to see what happens and will continue to explore OUYA and its games and apps. It is still a project I'd like to see succeed.