Ouya console shipping to Kickstarter backers with 104 games, available in stores June 4

By Gloria Sin March 29, 2013

Check out our review of the Ouya Android-based gaming console.

The era of the $99 gaming system has begun. Ouya’s Kickstarter backers will be getting their hands on the console first, as the company already started shipping to backers on March 28. Don’t worry; if you didn’t back the Kickstarter project but still want an Ouya, it turns out you’ll be able to pick one up from a retailer like Best Buy and Amazon starting June 4.

Ouya is a $99 mini-console that uses Android and is powered by the quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor that you’d find on a smartphone. Like the Google Play app store, Ouya’s growing library of games (104 titles as of today) is only accessible from its built-in store, so you don’t need to pop in a disk if you want to game – the console doesn’t have an optical drive, anyway. Although its current titles are mostly retro-style arcade and mobile games, some gaming heavyweights like Portal‘s Kim Swift is already working on an exclusive title for the Ouya.

Since Kickstarter backers will be the first batch of users to give the Ouya a whirl, their feedback will inform Ouya on how to tweak the system for consumers before the device arrives in stores in June. One of the first things backers will have to do is run a system update, but, according to its blog post, Ouya thinks its update will only take “seconds.”

Customers will also have to enter their credit card information before they can download any game – even a free-to-play demo. If the comments on Ouya’s Kickstarter project page is any indication, this is not going to go over well with consumers. As one backer said, “I too have no problem giving them my credit card for the purchase of games. However, needing a credit card for downloading demos is a bit odd. As far as I am aware, XBox Live does not have this requirement (you can still download demos without XBox Live Gold), nor does the Wii.”

If enough backers complain to Ouya about its previously unannounced credit card requirement, hopefully the company will changes its mind before the consoles lands in stores in June.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gloria’s tech journey really began when she was studying user centered design in university, and developed a love for…

Gaming

Is Manor Lords on console?

A snowy settlement in Manor Lords.

It's kind of hard to believe that a substantial game like Manor Lords could be developed by only one person, but that hasn't stopped it from being an absolutely massive success since its April 26 release date. Rising rapidly to become the top-selling game on Steam and hitting a staggering number of concurrent players, this Early Access strategy title is certainly making a name for itself right out of the gate. However, despite being such a popular game on Steam and PC Game Pass, some players may be wondering if and when they can get their hands on it for consoles. It's currently a tricky question to answer, but here's what we know so far about whether Manor Lords will come to consoles.
Is Manor Lords on console?
Manor Lords is not currently available on any consoles. That doesn't mean we won't see this successful game make its way over to additional platforms, though. In early May 2024, developer Greg Styczeń confirmed on Twitter that he's working with publisher Hooded Horse to bring Manor Lords to Xbox "as soon as possible." While we don't know how soon that will actually be, it seems that Microsoft's console will at least receive the game at some point in the (hopefully) near future.

When asked about a possible PlayStation 5 version of Manor Lords in the same Twitter thread, Styczeń stated: "We're still talking about it." This may mean a potential PS5 release could be much further out than the Xbox version. And given Styczeń's silence about a Nintendo Switch release, it's not looking particularly likely that it will receive a version of Manor Lords at all — though only time will tell.

Gaming

Best PS5 SSD for 2024: Add more storage to your PlayStation 5

The Samsung 990 Pro SSD being installed in a PC.

Your PlayStation 5 has a lot of internal storage to play with, but it’s not an infinite supply of bytes. If you’ve noticed your available space is running low, it might be time to invest in a standalone SSD, otherwise known as a solid-state drive. There are more options in this consumer tech category than ever, which can actually make the research process a little daunting. We’re here to make things easier though.

We have a lot of experience when it comes to vetting and testing external storage mediums, so we’ve created this roundup of the five best PS5 SSDs to share our expertise.

Gaming

A Sonic game that plays like Fall Guys is coming to mobile

A cinematic shot of Sonic in Sonic Rumble's announcement trailer.

Sega unveiled a new Sonic the Hedgehog game today, and it's a multiplayer game for mobile devices that's reminiscent of battle royale platformers like Fall Guys.

Titled Sonic Rumble, this battle royale game sees 32 players compete as they dash and jump their way through levels. Mediatonic's Fall Guys is the most immediate comparison to draw based on the gameplay briefly shown off in its reveal trailer, but Sonic Rumble does stand out with levels that feel uniquely tailored to the series' iconography and 2D platformer sections that call back to Sonic's roots. A lot of Sonic the Hedgehog characters appear to be playable and can be further customized with in-game items.