The initial version of the OUYA shows promise, but it needs a lot of polish before the final retail release if it wants to impress gamers.
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Critic reviews
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If by Christmastime Ouya has gotten its act together and solved them, this machine will be an almost irresistible stocking-stuffer. Maybe just not for everybody.
Read the full review →Overall, I'm pleased with the Ouya. Its library of games isn't out to dethrone Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto, but the simple, fine-tuned pleasures of games like TowerFall serve as a welcome complement to the cash-infused giants on other platforms.
Read the full review →Until Ouya offers more both in terms in game and media, I think it will be a supplemental device for people who already own consoles. Or it may be a relatively inexpensive, cool-looking console for those who are really into in indie games.
Read the full review →Despite its low price and free-to-try system, the Ouya fails to reach its potential as a disruptive alternative platform.
Read the full review →The Ouya Gaming Console lets you play Android games on your TV with an Xbox-like controller, but this Kickstarter-funded device needs work.
Read the full review →The Ouya could be a great, inexpensive Android-based gaming system for everyone. Right now, though, it isn't even close.
Read the full review →If you're a hardcore gamer, it won't replace your Xbox or PlayStation, but for $100 it's a worthy supplement.
Read the full review →Despite some irksome teething troubles, the console at least has the basic building blocks in place, and comes with a decent price point - now it just needs the robust developer support that was promised during that famous Kickstarter campaign last year.
Read the full review →This is a key time for OUYA, and if it secures a stronger lineup of games and smooths out some hardware glitches, it may be ready for the mainstream. Right now, it's stuck in limbo as a fun toy for hackers or those who want to explore indie games.
Read the full review →The system is a fascinating experiment and can be fun for those for whom $99 isn't much to plunk down for a lark or a risk. I'm not so sure that's who the Ouya was made for. Buyer beware, for now.
Read the full review →The $100 Ouya doesn't live up to its promise, but tech-savvy enthusiasts willing to deal with its quirks will have fun noodling around with it.
Read the full review →The OUYA is rough in some ways, and there are lazy-ass games on there, but it's definitely an adventure. I'm a fan.
Read the full review →On paper, Ouya is undeniably exciting - the scope of Android combined with a proper gaming interface and a super-low price point. However, a lack of quality games - not to mention an absence of AAA exclusives - makes the platform slightly less appealing.
Read the full review →There’s no doubt the console touches on several great ideas. ... As is, the device still has several big problems to overcome before it can start to shake things.
Read the full review →Ouya is still a curio rather than a prime-time ready games console. It has bundles of potential, but only ardent fans and hobbyists need apply right now.
Read the full review →I'd urge all but the most curious to wait and see ... but I'd still suggest everybody keep an interested eye on it. I honestly want it to improve, and grow into an excellent, successful platform. It's just not there right now, and it has some ways to go.
Read the full review →The Ouya is a device with a lot of potential built with love, but technical issues and a weak library that may not get better for a long time limit it.
Read the full review →The Ouya is light years away from being any kind of viable game console, even though it has improved in some places like UI lag and the controller. I really wanted it to be better, but it's not competitive even at $99. Do not buy this unless you are primarily interested in modding it.
Read the full review →First Looks
The promise of the console is far more appealing, and the time we've spent with the OUYA has us even more excited for its unknown future.
Read the full preview →Our latest experience with the Android-based gaming device has us feeling optimistic. While there's certainly work left to be done, not the least of which is convincing consumers this is the console they need, it's obvious that the company is taking customer feedback seriously.
Read the full preview →The Ouya is positioning itself as a different kind of console, and the little box certainly has a lot of potential. Its curated approach to discovery could help the truly good games get the recognition they deserve.
Read the full preview →Like the console itself, the Ouya user interface and storefront is pretty simple. From the main menu, you have four options: Play, Discover, Make and Manage.
Read the full preview →I liked what I saw during my brief time with Ouya. The idea of an indie-focused device that nearly obliterates the barrier of entry for would-be console developers gets me excited as a gamer. Its low price, small size, and free-to-try model should appeal to families on a budget as well.
Read the full preview →The interface is simple, just a menu of four words: Play, Discover, Make and Manage. The latter lets you adjust the system settings; the first is a list of the games you own. It’s in the middle two options where things get interesting.
Read the full preview →Even for those used to gaming on their PCs or Xbox 360s, Ouya brings a new gaming experience to the living room. Granted, it's a mostly smaller, independent experience, with some titles that are admittedly too casual to bother playing on a television screen.
Read the full preview →The Ouya is a bit of letdown right now. In time, with added games and content like streaming video, plus some bug fixes, it could be a contender. In its current iteration I would recommend it only for those who are technically inclined.
Read the full preview →Booting into an Ouya game takes just 3-5 seconds from the menu. All the titles looked great on the approximately 40’’ demo display. Perhaps best of all, every Ouya game must offer a free component, allowing gamers try out the title before being asked to pay up.
Read the full preview →We got a good look at both the user interface for the console and its new games. The look and feel of Ouya is pretty on the big screen, but the company doesn’t have any killer games yet.
Read the full preview →The console still feels pretty enigmatic. Like any video game system, it's going to live or die by its games, and we're still not sure what those will be. While we found the titles from our demo to be well adapted to the console and charmingly odd, none of them struck us as system sellers.
Read the full preview →Overall, having had a brief play on the Ouya we're pretty impressed, with the device offering an enjoyable and disturbingly polished gaming experience.
Read the full preview →I was excited for the Ouya. I wanted something different; something that wasn't from Microsoft or Sony. Initially, I'm not impressed. Upon opening the box the remote control was in pieces. That's not a good start. It would have presented well, placement in the packaging and all. It was...
Read the full review →I had pretty mixed feeling on this from when I first backed the kickstarter project. After experiencing a bad bout of buyers remorse I cancelled my pre-order. As the campaign drew to a close I saw a lot more positives and figured that, worst case, I could run XBMC and NES/SNES emulators on it....
Read the full review →Overall, there is a lot of potential here. The hardware for the most part is pretty good and I imagine the software will get there over the next few months. I think this will be really interesting for the DIY community and I would love to see what college kids in CS classes put out for this. I...
Read the full review →At this stage in its release Ouya is doing a great job. This is the ultimate indie game console. The games are all free to try. I am having the most fun with the emulators. You can load ROMs using a USB thumb drive and play all your favorite SNES, NES and Game Boy games. The N64 emulator is a bit...
Read the full review →The OUYA is a weird one, design wise it's flawless, it's one of the nicest and smallest devices I've ever used. The controller is also pretty cool, it's fairly basic but works perfectly well, some of the buttons feel a little cheap though, for example the four main O-U-Y-A buttons, I feel their a...
Read the full review →It's not what I had hoped for, but it's pretty much what I expected. The Ouya is a great little machine, as long as you put it in the right perspective. When I backed this project, I hoped I'd be receiving a magical device that would allow me to pack up my PS3 and Xbox and permanently move...
Read the full review →Ouya has a number of launch issues, and many of the most promising titles are not yet available. The great UI has some rough edges, and some documentation is not as clear as it should be. Nevertheless, this is a console by developers for developers. The ability to sideload and create custom...
Read the full review →If you're an early adopter and go in with the proper mindset you will be quite pleased. Think of this as a Beta console. The software and hardware issues can all be attributed to the infancy of OUYA and it is reasonable to have high expectations for software updates to repair many of the issues...
Read the full review →Set your expectation on spending a fraction of the cost of a big name console and ~$2.99 per game and you'll be completely satisfied with this device. If you're expecting to spend $100 on the console and another $3 on a game with the result being an Xbox or PS3 killer you're insane. :) There...
Read the full review →The Ouya was an interesting concept, but the lack of access to the Play Store, laggy controllers and lack of compelling titles leave little reason to buy it.
Read the full review →How it stacks up
Instantly compare the Ouya console side by side with some of the top devices on Engadget!
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