Database Users

Xperia Play: the next five years

When OnLive, the popular cloud gaming service, released a version of their client for Android phones and tablets last year, they offered a potential vision of the future, one where any mobile internet-connected device – no matter how gutless - gave you full access to top-tier games that looked just like current-gen PC and console games. Notice I said ‘potential’, for while the technology behind it is stupendous and its implementation is mind bogglingly effective, for all that it is hampered by one big downside: smartphones lack anything in the way of actual real buttons, d-pads and the like, so getting a complex FPS or racing game to work on something with just a touch screen is, as they say, nontrivial.
The insurmountable problem here is that touch-screen mobiles and tablets are not good platforms for traditional PC and console ports. “But what about Angry Birds, or Fruit Ninja, or any number of games that have earned Millions on mobile?” Well, yes, if you create a game from the ground up that takes advantage of what controls are there (gyroscope, basic touch gestures and so on) then it’s quite possible to craft an effective (albeit lightweight) game that’ll go on to sell like hot cakes. But just try playing R-Type with virtual controls: you can do it, but it’s no fun. It lacks any tactility and sooner or later you’re going to get wiped out once your finger reaches for a control but misses because your muscle memory just isn’t that good. Ok, there’s an OnLive gamepad in the wings which you’ll be able to tether to your device and while that will solve that problem, really, who is going to carry a gamepad around with them?
However right at the end of the year, OnLive then did something that inadvertently – almost accidentally – gave rise to one of, if not THE most significant gaming event of the year: one that went totally under everyone’s radar. You see, they very quietly pushed out a version of their Android client that had been tweaked to take advantage of the slide-out gamepad on the Sony Ericcson Xperia Play phone. Wait, what? That’s the most significant gaming event of the year? Bigger than the Wii U reveal? More important than the 3DS? Well, I think so. Read on.
Now I am aware that the Xperia Play has had a bit of a torrid time in its short life. It’s something of an oddity in the realm of smartphones: somewhere between a phone and a handheld console, it’s struggled to find purchase with gadget lovers and gamers alike, for a variety of reasons. From an insane price point at its release in May 2011, to criticisms on its sheer bulk, button placement (I’m looking at you, power button), down to the middling hardware specifications that were already outdated on release day.
If we were being particularly mean we could even try to draw parallels to Nokia’s implementation of a similar game-as-phone concept a decade or so back, the hideous N-Gage, a concept so poorly received and so badly implemented that they probably had to bury five million of the things next to the pile of Atari ET Cartridges buried in a Texan landfill. But the combination of the Xperia Play and OnLive – though both individually flawed in certain ways – together produce something utterly mesmerising, somehow more than the sum of its parts. Quite simply, it’s a revelation.
For, you see, all of these pros and cons paled into insignificance the moment OnLive ported their client to the Xperia Play. Suddenly there was a single solitary handheld mobile device, unique and distinct from anything else on the market, that could play current-gen console-standard games, and more to the point could deliver them without silly pretend on-screen controls, or wiimote hacks, or external controllers, or compromises. You just slide that slick gamepad out, launch OnLive, fire up your copy of Batman: Arkham City or Saints Row: The Third and enjoy high-fidelity PC-quality gaming.
For you see, this killer combination of OnLive, the Xperia Play and a capable internet connection delivers something you can’t get anywhere else: proper, full-fat, platform-agnostic gaming in one unit that will fit in your pocket. Nobody else does it. It’s a game-changer. It’s so ahead of its time that I suspect that no amount of waxing lyrical will alter the fact that this devastatingly effective combination will be totally overlooked by all and sundry. (That is, presumably, until Apple ‘invents’ the concept of integrated mobile cloud gaming in five years’ time – iPlay anyone? – everyone slaps their forehead, wonders why no-one else thought of the concept and we buy them in their millions.)
The Xperia Play needed OnLive, and OnLive needed the Xperia Play, though neither would have admitted it. The Xperia Play has finally found its raison d’être, a unique reason or "killer app" to buy it over any other phone, or portable games console for that matter. And in OnLive’s case, it gives it a reason for existing: what’s the point of playing games through OnLive on a computer that probably could have played those games natively anyway? It only begins to make sense in environments away from the raw processing power of your Desktop Computer, and never more so than on the Xperia Play.
While there are certainly plenty of devices that will run OnLive, none do it with the ease, perfection and panache of this quirky little device. It also future proofs it: If Sony stopped selling it tomorrow, even if everyone stopped writing games that support it, as long as OnLive keep going you’ll get a constant stream of bona fide, triple-A games coming your way. And for Xperia Play owners, it even puts an end to the mobile arms race – it simply doesn’t matter that newer phones with faster dual and quad core processors come out every other five minutes. As the games are rendered on OnLive’s servers rather than on the device, it means that you can ignore all of that nonsense as it simply isn’t important any more. Now that’s a game changer.

Our device is not perfect until the Playstation suite is out.

Thats very fanboi of you to say. Fck $ony

I agree that services like OnLive greatly expand gaming possibilities.
I would like hardware updates that improve style and also non-gaming functionality. Plus there will be games that just won't work with an OnLive type of setup.
An HDMI port would be great in the next iteration as well as more RAM. A better camera would also be great.

flat_steve said:
When OnLive, the popular cloud gaming service, released a version of their client for Android phones and tablets last year, they offered a potential vision of the future, one where any mobile internet-connected device – no matter how gutless - gave you full access to top-tier games that looked just like current-gen PC and console games. Notice I said ‘potential’, for while the technology behind it is stupendous and its implementation is mind bogglingly effective, for all that it is hampered by one big downside: smartphones lack anything in the way of actual real buttons, d-pads and the like, so getting a complex FPS or racing game to work on something with just a touch screen is, as they say, nontrivial.
The insurmountable problem here is that touch-screen mobiles and tablets are not good platforms for traditional PC and console ports. “But what about Angry Birds, or Fruit Ninja, or any number of games that have earned Millions on mobile?” Well, yes, if you create a game from the ground up that takes advantage of what controls are there (gyroscope, basic touch gestures and so on) then it’s quite possible to craft an effective (albeit lightweight) game that’ll go on to sell like hot cakes. But just try playing R-Type with virtual controls: you can do it, but it’s no fun. It lacks any tactility and sooner or later you’re going to get wiped out once your finger reaches for a control but misses because your muscle memory just isn’t that good. Ok, there’s an OnLive gamepad in the wings which you’ll be able to tether to your device and while that will solve that problem, really, who is going to carry a gamepad around with them?
However right at the end of the year, OnLive then did something that inadvertently – almost accidentally – gave rise to one of, if not THE most significant gaming event of the year: one that went totally under everyone’s radar. You see, they very quietly pushed out a version of their Android client that had been tweaked to take advantage of the slide-out gamepad on the Sony Ericcson Xperia Play phone. Wait, what? That’s the most significant gaming event of the year? Bigger than the Wii U reveal? More important than the 3DS? Well, I think so. Read on.
Now I am aware that the Xperia Play has had a bit of a torrid time in its short life. It’s something of an oddity in the realm of smartphones: somewhere between a phone and a handheld console, it’s struggled to find purchase with gadget lovers and gamers alike, for a variety of reasons. From an insane price point at its release in May 2011, to criticisms on its sheer bulk, button placement (I’m looking at you, power button), down to the middling hardware specifications that were already outdated on release day.
If we were being particularly mean we could even try to draw parallels to Nokia’s implementation of a similar game-as-phone concept a decade or so back, the hideous N-Gage, a concept so poorly received and so badly implemented that they probably had to bury five million of the things next to the pile of Atari ET Cartridges buried in a Texan landfill. But the combination of the Xperia Play and OnLive – though both individually flawed in certain ways – together produce something utterly mesmerising, somehow more than the sum of its parts. Quite simply, it’s a revelation.
For, you see, all of these pros and cons paled into insignificance the moment OnLive ported their client to the Xperia Play. Suddenly there was a single solitary handheld mobile device, unique and distinct from anything else on the market, that could play current-gen console-standard games, and more to the point could deliver them without silly pretend on-screen controls, or wiimote hacks, or external controllers, or compromises. You just slide that slick gamepad out, launch OnLive, fire up your copy of Batman: Arkham City or Saints Row: The Third and enjoy high-fidelity PC-quality gaming.
For you see, this killer combination of OnLive, the Xperia Play and a capable internet connection delivers something you can’t get anywhere else: proper, full-fat, platform-agnostic gaming in one unit that will fit in your pocket. Nobody else does it. It’s a game-changer. It’s so ahead of its time that I suspect that no amount of waxing lyrical will alter the fact that this devastatingly effective combination will be totally overlooked by all and sundry. (That is, presumably, until Apple ‘invents’ the concept of integrated mobile cloud gaming in five years’ time – iPlay anyone? – everyone slaps their forehead, wonders why no-one else thought of the concept and we buy them in their millions.)
The Xperia Play needed OnLive, and OnLive needed the Xperia Play, though neither would have admitted it. The Xperia Play has finally found its raison d’être, a unique reason or "killer app" to buy it over any other phone, or portable games console for that matter. And in OnLive’s case, it gives it a reason for existing: what’s the point of playing games through OnLive on a computer that probably could have played those games natively anyway? It only begins to make sense in environments away from the raw processing power of your Desktop Computer, and never more so than on the Xperia Play.
While there are certainly plenty of devices that will run OnLive, none do it with the ease, perfection and panache of this quirky little device. It also future proofs it: If Sony stopped selling it tomorrow, even if everyone stopped writing games that support it, as long as OnLive keep going you’ll get a constant stream of bona fide, triple-A games coming your way. And for Xperia Play owners, it even puts an end to the mobile arms race – it simply doesn’t matter that newer phones with faster dual and quad core processors come out every other five minutes. As the games are rendered on OnLive’s servers rather than on the device, it means that you can ignore all of that nonsense as it simply isn’t important any more. Now that’s a game changer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tldr
Sent from my R800x using xda premium

Great post, and very well written I might add. Props sir!

This is the first post that actually sucked me in. I had to read the rest of it. Great writing! You should start a blog and get paid son. I was really excited about this phone but being the hardcore gamer I am I will stick to my PC and 360. I bought the phone mainly because I had alot of dowtime at my job and what better way to kill time than to beat the hell out of people online with a physical game pad. I no longer have the job so why play dead space when both 1 and 2 can be played on my big ass flat screen. Phone to the left and 360 to the right hmmmm!
Sent from my R800x using XDA App

I just don't understand why they released the xperia play with a single core and 512mb ram.
this phone with a dual core and 1gb of ram would be perfect. I'd almost prefer to see it running on Tegra instead.
I'll just sit back and wait for the Xperia Play 2(hopefully) and hope that they get it up to date.

1 ghz with adreno 205 is still great for gaming, we dont need superb graphics on 4" LCD screen. Except for 512mb RAM in PLAY, i think 1gb RAM is better.

That was an impressive read. You should really start blogging. To be honest I was looking for someone like you to start a Xperia/android games based blogging site/portal. I'll pm you the details =)
Sent from my R800i using xda premium

Its only a matter of time before Steam join the party. Sony need to get there suite sorted as soon as they can. If they fail to bring there games to the masses it could stop plans for future handsets.

CapNM77 said:
This is the first post that actually sucked me in. I had to read the rest of it. Great writing! You should start a blog and get paid son. I was really excited about this phone but being the hardcore gamer I am I will stick to my PC and 360. I bought the phone mainly because I had alot of dowtime at my job and what better way to kill time than to beat the hell out of people online with a physical game pad. I no longer have the job so why play dead space when both 1 and 2 can be played on my big ass flat screen. Phone to the left and 360 to the right hmmmm!
Sent from my R800x using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd think myself as a gamer but after
Getting this phone my time on the xbox has reduced
Sent from my R800i using XDA App

I wrote a similar piece, well really a review of OnLive on the PLAY the other day.
Its here:
onlivefans.com/reviews/2012/01/28/onlive-review-xperia-play-with-the-android-client/
(apologies, it would appear because I don't post often URLS are beyond my powers)

I still like the Xperia Play even though it has it's flaws. The games that have come out up until now have been very good.
GTA 3 and reckless racing 2 is awesome on the Xperia Play. ( I know there are more but just can't be bothered mentioning them )
But when the PS Suite will be officially released which will be in a couple of weeks
then you'll realise why we have the Xperia Play and how awesome it is !

Forget the emulators, thousands of old school games,
Forget the phone, gps, display and speakers,
A portable onlive with a built in gamepad is worth the price alone.
Who cares if sony brings out ports to psp games, onlive destroys psp games.
Im very happy i have this ridiculously awesome device

hairdewx said:
I agree that services like OnLive greatly expand gaming possibilities.
I would like hardware updates that improve style and also non-gaming functionality. Plus there will be games that just won't work with an OnLive type of setup.
An HDMI port would be great in the next iteration as well as more RAM. A better camera would also be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why are so many people desperate for a hdmi port i honestly dont get it fully.
case 1
video playback on a larger screen (ok this one makes sense) but hey you could copy it to your computer so its backed-up and then play it on a tv which is a better choice really unless your round a friends
case 2
play games on your tv screen - this really makes no sense to me if you have a full hd tv surely your better off playing on a proper console or have a pc connected and play proper games.

Sniper Spr3e said:
why are so many people desperate for a hdmi port i honestly dont get it fully.
case 1
video playback on a larger screen (ok this one makes sense) but hey you could copy it to your computer so its backed-up and then play it on a tv which is a better choice really unless your round a friends
case 2
play games on your tv screen - this really makes no sense to me if you have a full hd tv surely your better off playing on a proper console or have a pc connected and play proper games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. But the only reason i'd want a HDMI output for the Xperia Play is so that I can view my photos and videos on a big screen.

Sniper Spr3e said:
why are so many people desperate for a hdmi port i honestly dont get it fully.
case 2
play games on your tv screen - this really makes no sense to me if you have a full hd tv surely your better off playing on a proper console or have a pc connected and play proper games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree our website has tested many devices with HDMI like our Asus Transformer and all Xperia 2011 range handsets with HDMI out and others even are plarc which we turned an arc into a play micro console. But in are testings none could upscale the screen to a reasonable quality (for game's and onlive), it looks so blocky and streched. Not to mention getting set up each time is so not as easy as pressing home on my ps3 controller. To sum it up hdmi out is cool but when you really going to bother using it. BTW the origianl post really intresting thanks for writing.

Agreed with everything you said.

Sniper Spr3e said:
why are so many people desperate for a hdmi port i honestly dont get it fully.
case 1
video playback on a larger screen (ok this one makes sense) but hey you could copy it to your computer so its backed-up and then play it on a tv which is a better choice really unless your round a friends
case 2
play games on your tv screen - this really makes no sense to me if you have a full hd tv surely your better off playing on a proper console or have a pc connected and play proper games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are more uses - especially when traveling. Website browsing on a larger screen, music, youtube, netflix, Amazon prime video, presentations, etc.
My TV can connect to a webserver and stream movies directly, but only a few formats are supported.
I have a PC but I don't want to hook up a PC in my living room. Thing is too big and ugly. There are also times when I'd rather be on my couch than at my desk in my office.
When my wife replaces her Droid 3 I'm going to use it as a tiny media center box that I can connect to one of my HDTV's and it will be very easy to hide.
poo-tang said:
I agree our website has tested many devices with HDMI like our Asus Transformer and all Xperia 2011 range handsets with HDMI out and others even are plarc which we turned an arc into a play micro console. But in are testings none could upscale the screen to a reasonable quality (for game's and onlive), it looks so blocky and streched. Not to mention getting set up each time is so not as easy as pressing home on my ps3 controller. To sum it up hdmi out is cool but when you really going to bother using it. BTW the origianl post really intresting thanks for writing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Setting up my ASUS Transformer Prime was as easy as plugging in the HDMI cable. It's truly plug and play. Connected my Xbox 360 controller and it was good to go with no set-up required.
As for game playing quality on a large HDTV, you can judge from my own video

Ouya vs The World (Comparisons and why Ouya has much competition)

I figured nobody else had started this thread already, and it'll be a great starting point for discussions of Ouya up against it's brothers-in-Androids in your market. This is NOT an Ouya bashing thread, merely a compare and contrast between the newly flooding market of miniature Android powered devices.
Now, to begin, I would like to first point out that I do own multiple Android powered devices, but none which are mentioned here in this post, so please don't cry "fanboy" as I have 0 allegiance to anything except Android. And yes, I'm kicking myself for not getting in on the Ouya kickstarter (even though I had multiple chances).
Ouya is poised to become the next big multimedia console to enter the consumer market and home, and it's got quite the uphill battle ahead of it. There's already plenty of small low-powered Android devices either announced or already released which fill one niche or another. While Ouya markets itself primarily as a game console, the fact that it runs Android means that it's got to compete with every other low-powered Android device which feasibly can accomplish everything the Ouya can. I'll expound on this further.
Ouya vs ...:
Google TV. Starting at the same price point for the VIZIO Co-Star, this device provides more than enough power in a small frame to power your perfect TV setup, providing internet access as well as local network streaming for your entertainment needs. Now, while the Google TV platform is marketed as a STB, it's still a competitor in mild/moderate gaming as well as web content accessibility. With the fact that Google TV is synonymous with "everything Google, now on your TV," Ouya's name will lend to confusion as to what it really is for the mass market in the beginning, hurting intial adoption rates outside the Android community.
Win: Google TV, brand recognition.
Raspberry Pi. Starting at a paltry $25, this little low-powered Android stock device is actually quite a surprising little power house. All manner of network appliances have been developed around this hardware, and with the drivers for most of the hardware being provided for other flavors of Linux, it's range and scope is expanding fast. While again, only techies will really know what the Pi is, it's heavily marketed (ignore the fact i'm using this term loosely) towards Android and computing enthusiasts as a replacement for all those things that are big, hot, and noisy. This little gem has already received more builds of Linux than I can count, a port of XBMC that can easily handle streaming 1080p without a sweat, it really comes down to accessibility. In the long run the Ouya is pricier, and for those just looking for a cheap XBMC device, you can't beat the Pi at $25. That and it's kawaii-small.
Win: Raspberry Pi, price point.
nVIDIA Shield. In the closest thing to apples to apples comparison of devices based on how they're marketed, we have the nVIDIA Shield, the Tegra 4 powered nVIDIA Android handheld gaming console (announced). This little gamer's wet dream is a powerhouse in your hands, and throw in the ability to play your PC games on the handheld thanks to special integration with the nVIDIA graphics processor on your PC, and you've got an almost universal system to enjoy anywhere, anytime. Again, being that it's Android, don't expect that it won't be without it's ports of XBMC and many many other wonderful pieces of software to further enhance the cost-to-value ratio of this handheld. Being that this is the closest competitor to the Ouya, it's worth noting that there are a few caveats to the Shield which bring it down. As of this writing, the "Play PC" feature is heavily Steam oriented (not a bad thing), will likely require Multi-Band Wireless N (MIMO) (not prevalent, likely have to buy one), and the biggest bullet to chew on, a whopping GeForce GTX 650 (cheapest on Newegg as of writing $110 new) in order to enjoy this device to it's fullest. While the Ouya lacks this functionality to begin with, it brings it down, but this feature feels more like a power-play by nVIDIA than something that could end up becoming mainstream.
Win: Ouya, will integrate with everything you already have provided tools and/or apps are provided to link it, no need to upgrade everything around it to make full use of it.
Mods: Sorry for the perceived dupe topic, I was at work getting calls every 15 minutes interrupting me for upwards half an hour after I started writing this just after lunch.

Reply
I myself was wondering how the similar, android-based GameStick would fair against the Ouya. It has similar characteristics and from what I have seen will be released to those who pre-ordered around the same time as those who backed the Ouya.
Although I have seen a few comments about the Ouya and GameStick as being (or not being) competitive, I would like to here what your guys' thoughts are on the topic.
GameStick was also first on kickstarter, check it out:
(Read the updates as well, there were some major ones!)
->GameStick Page<-

Raspberry Pi is an educational device,and can't handle anything worthwhile.

When i was doing the backing for Ouya, i wasn't really aware of Gamestick project itself. Now had a check on the video and both the guys looks same in terms of strategy and Games, even the game store !
But i assume the Ouya hardware is bit better than the Gamestick one.
I could feel only one challenge they going to face - GAMES !! and more GAMES!
But we all know - we all will end up in flashing a custom mod into this thing :laugh:

Feelings about the OUYA
I just hope that the OUYA is all it has been hyped up to be. I don't want to see a box with some Allwinner A10, a gig of RAM, and a modded version of the Google Play store. I want to see a full on Android gaming console with dev support and proprietary games and add-ons. I really hope that when the OUYA gets dropped, it has a major impact on the console market.

BasedChefJoeyB said:
I just hope that the OUYA is all it has been hyped up to be. I don't want to see a box with some Allwinner A10, a gig of RAM, and a modded version of the Google Play store. I want to see a full on Android gaming console with dev support and proprietary games and add-ons. I really hope that when the OUYA gets dropped, it has a major impact on the console market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't have the power or support to make an impact on the realm that Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo occupy.

cmdrdredd said:
It doesn't have the power or support to make an impact on the realm that Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo occupy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because obviously we all want to play call of duty 14 or whatever braindead sequel is served up on the pop machines (you know, just like pop music, no creativity and sold to the herd of sheeps)
I look forward to some real creativity in gaming which hopefully the indie dev will be able to bring to Ouya
Sent from my IceColdJelly HOX via Tapatalk 2

Raverbunny said:
Because obviously we all want to play call of duty 14 or whatever braindead sequel is served up on the pop machines (you know, just like pop music, no creativity and sold to the herd of sheeps)
I look forward to some real creativity in gaming which hopefully the indie dev will be able to bring to Ouya
Sent from my IceColdJelly HOX via Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would love to see the Ouya find it's niche as the premier indie console, gawd knows none of the big three (M$, Sony, Nintendo) have really welcomed the indie devs. Check into the "Indie Game" movie, and you'll see what I'm saying. If Ouya welcomes the indie developers (which it sounds like they are), then they'll have plenty of backing from new blood which will eventually draw the bigger names to capitalize on a market they can make more in.

BasedChefJoeyB said:
I just hope that the OUYA is all it has been hyped up to be. I don't want to see a box with some Allwinner A10, a gig of RAM, and a modded version of the Google Play store. I want to see a full on Android gaming console with dev support and proprietary games and add-ons. I really hope that when the OUYA gets dropped, it has a major impact on the console market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NVIDIA Tegra3 quad-core processor
1GB RAM
8GB of internal flash storage, expandable via USB 2.0 port
Up to 1080p HD (via HDMI)
5.1 surround sound
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, and Ethernet port
Bluetooth
Micro USB port
Wireless Bluetooth controller with standard game controls and touchpad
the web says this..

I'm not impressed by the examples. Google TV is Google's take on Roku, Boxee Box, and Apple TV. Not a game console.
My Raspberry Pi, while freaking cool, is most definitely NOT a gaming console. It doesn't have the power, the games, or any of that. It's not even a computer, it's a little wonder box that I put in the middle of projects.
The Shield is pretty cool I'd say, and yes, it's a gaming console. But I keep my Nexus 4 on hand always and I like to keep my pockets lightweight and I don't need one extra gadget or pocket filled. And so I don't understand why people say Shield will have a better fate than the OUYA. In the end it's just an Android with an excellent processor and a fancy controller slapped on it. If it's more than $250 there's no way I'll buy it. I don't care about the PC game streaming. It's a completely different social segment from what I can tell. And most of you, I can guarantee, don't even have the specified graphics setup to begin with.
This is a TV console for $100. OUYAs only professional opposors at the moment: Wii Mini ($100), and gamestick.tv ($80)... I suppose Xbox 360 has a few options, but they will end up costing you at least $200 to enjoy without games from my person experience.
And maybe, a budget Xbox quite soon. But you and me both know that the Xbox "720" and/or PS4 will be very expensive, maybe $400 or so. And the Wii U is already pricey, low functionality and low on the games. And Nintendo is paying the price.
Google TV, Roku, Boxee Box, Apple TV are Streaming Boxes, which all somehow cost as much as this fully featured box. I enjoy my Roku but it can barely get Angry Birds right... Angry Birds.
Microsoft and Sonys latest consoles as well as the new Valve segment are most likely destined for the mid hundreds ($300-$550)
The Xperia Play was unfortunately DOA, and even the promising PS Vita and nVidia Shield are absolutely positively handheld systems, not TV consoles.
So we have a chance of dominating this side of the market if we can beat the experience of other $100 gadgets that hook up to your TV, feature, function, and marketing wise.

Cynagen said:
I figured nobody else had started this thread already, and it'll be a great starting point for discussions of Ouya up against it's brothers-in-Androids in your market. This is NOT an Ouya bashing thread, merely a compare and contrast between the newly flooding market of miniature Android powered devices.
Now, to begin, I would like to first point out that I do own multiple Android powered devices, but none which are mentioned here in this post, so please don't cry "fanboy" as I have 0 allegiance to anything except Android. And yes, I'm kicking myself for not getting in on the Ouya kickstarter (even though I had multiple chances).
Ouya is poised to become the next big multimedia console to enter the consumer market and home, and it's got quite the uphill battle ahead of it. There's already plenty of small low-powered Android devices either announced or already released which fill one niche or another. While Ouya markets itself primarily as a game console, the fact that it runs Android means that it's got to compete with every other low-powered Android device which feasibly can accomplish everything the Ouya can. I'll expound on this further.
Ouya vs ...:
Google TV. Starting at the same price point for the VIZIO Co-Star, this device provides more than enough power in a small frame to power your perfect TV setup, providing internet access as well as local network streaming for your entertainment needs. Now, while the Google TV platform is marketed as a STB, it's still a competitor in mild/moderate gaming as well as web content accessibility. With the fact that Google TV is synonymous with "everything Google, now on your TV," Ouya's name will lend to confusion as to what it really is for the mass market in the beginning, hurting intial adoption rates outside the Android community.
Win: Google TV, brand recognition.
Raspberry Pi. Starting at a paltry $25, this little low-powered Android stock device is actually quite a surprising little power house. All manner of network appliances have been developed around this hardware, and with the drivers for most of the hardware being provided for other flavors of Linux, it's range and scope is expanding fast. While again, only techies will really know what the Pi is, it's heavily marketed (ignore the fact i'm using this term loosely) towards Android and computing enthusiasts as a replacement for all those things that are big, hot, and noisy. This little gem has already received more builds of Linux than I can count, a port of XBMC that can easily handle streaming 1080p without a sweat, it really comes down to accessibility. In the long run the Ouya is pricier, and for those just looking for a cheap XBMC device, you can't beat the Pi at $25. That and it's kawaii-small.
Win: Raspberry Pi, price point.
nVIDIA Shield. In the closest thing to apples to apples comparison of devices based on how they're marketed, we have the nVIDIA Shield, the Tegra 4 powered nVIDIA Android handheld gaming console (announced). This little gamer's wet dream is a powerhouse in your hands, and throw in the ability to play your PC games on the handheld thanks to special integration with the nVIDIA graphics processor on your PC, and you've got an almost universal system to enjoy anywhere, anytime. Again, being that it's Android, don't expect that it won't be without it's ports of XBMC and many many other wonderful pieces of software to further enhance the cost-to-value ratio of this handheld. Being that this is the closest competitor to the Ouya, it's worth noting that there are a few caveats to the Shield which bring it down. As of this writing, the "Play PC" feature is heavily Steam oriented (not a bad thing), will likely require Multi-Band Wireless N (MIMO) (not prevalent, likely have to buy one), and the biggest bullet to chew on, a whopping GeForce GTX 650 (cheapest on Newegg as of writing $110 new) in order to enjoy this device to it's fullest. While the Ouya lacks this functionality to begin with, it brings it down, but this feature feels more like a power-play by nVIDIA than something that could end up becoming mainstream.
Win: Ouya, will integrate with everything you already have provided tools and/or apps are provided to link it, no need to upgrade everything around it to make full use of it.
Mods: Sorry for the perceived dupe topic, I was at work getting calls every 15 minutes interrupting me for upwards half an hour after I started writing this just after lunch.
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You got it completely wrong. None of those are real competitors to the OUYA. Google TV is... hold your breath... TV. It has the ability to run games but that's neither its purpose nor its strength. Raspberry is an amazing low cost miracle. As one of the early adopters I can say that you won't spend 25$ (or whatever the price was back then) better. But comparing it to a Tegra3 device in terms of gaming is a joke, right? The SHIELD is intended for the hardcore gamers. Unlike the OUYA it can stream PC games, it's portable, has better hardware... and costs more. Those two will more likely benefit from each other than compete, because the OUYA will have the numbers and the SHIELD will have the raw power to make big developers look at Android more seriously.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

tkolev said:
You got it completely wrong. None of those are real competitors to the OUYA. Google TV is... hold your breath... TV. It has the ability to run games but that's neither its purpose nor its strength. Raspberry is an amazing low cost miracle. As one of the early adopters I can say that you won't spend 25$ (or whatever the price was back then) better. But comparing it to a Tegra3 device in terms of gaming is a joke, right? The SHIELD is intended for the hardcore gamers. Unlike the OUYA it can stream PC games, it's portable, has better hardware... and costs more. Those two will more likely benefit from each other than compete, because the OUYA will have the numbers and the SHIELD will have the raw power to make big developers look at Android more seriously.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
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I never once said that these devices were in direct competition (only in the respect to they share Android space), just that based on what people know of each device, how they may compare them, and which ones would come out on top. Most of these devices are semi-interchange-able, but if you have simple needs (like XBMC), then there are better alternatives out there for you (in this case Pi). This was to highlight some of the strengths of Ouya's perceived competitors. The only real direct competitor is the SHIELD, which in it's own right is still a generation ahead, literally.

To be frank I just got my Pi and it's a pain in the butt, I am still periodically working on making the SD card perfect so the darn thing will boot. At the initial launch, the optimized Tegra 3 and 1GB RAM will blow the Pi's tech out of the water. And if we can push it to a second release we'll have a Tegra 4 SoC and most likely at least 2GB RAM.
I really think this OUYA project is going to benefit from Nvidias support. Let's be honest, Nvidia makes the best graphics tech in the PC market. The best. Really. They've been doing this for a very, very long time. And I think it's going to upstage the Qualcomm 800.

my Galaxy S3, with MHL hdmi connection, plus sixaxis bluetooth controller... bigger specs than an ouya and does exactly the same thing... no wait, it does more!

devnut said:
my Galaxy S3, with MHL hdmi connection, plus sixaxis bluetooth controller... bigger specs than an ouya and does exactly the same thing... no wait, it does more!
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and wait... it costs 5 times more.

devnut said:
my Galaxy S3, with MHL hdmi connection, plus sixaxis bluetooth controller... bigger specs than an ouya and does exactly the same thing... no wait, it does more!
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Click to collapse
So your S3 core runs with 1,7ghz and never downclock.
Because the ouya has a powersupply and don´t need to save any batterie.
Also the android on ouya is cut down to a minimum of ressources to give the game more power.
It will only be a matter of time to have ouya games which will not work on any S3 or Note2 or other devices with tegra 3 or equal.

devnut said:
my Galaxy S3, with MHL hdmi connection, plus sixaxis bluetooth controller... bigger specs than an ouya and does exactly the same thing... no wait, it does more!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think we better compare the respective categories based on the space they are in..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

OOH-YAA :highfive: :good:

lartomar2002 said:
OOH-YAA :highfive: :good:
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Anyways, back on topic! If the Pi is as "Pi"tiful as everyone is claiming, then the biggest names the Ouya will have to deal with will be the Google TV (which has huge brand recognition), and the nVidia SHIELD (again, brand recognition, and better hardware). Ouya doesn't have to topple either of these platforms, each has their niche, but can easily be extended to include the extra functionality needed. The Google TV platform may not have the powerful graphics processor to keep up with demanding games, but for artsy 2d kids games, no problem. Why buy a new system (that you likely know nothing about), when you can just extend the capabilities of your already existing Google TV installation by rooting and working with that? SHIELD is more of a direct competitor as it's seeking the gaming market that's been woefully ignored in terms of mobility, and while the Ouya will likely be a better item for the simple fact that you're going to get some good mileage out of the platform for $100, it still has to compete with brand recognition, which is overall going to hurt the Ouya. The only people really aware of the Ouya are kickstarter backers, and the Android enthusiast community. There's been plenty of press, but I've dropped the name Ouya in conversation with some of my other tech-oriented friends and gotten blank stares which tells me that there's not enough marketing going out to inform the masses of the product. Word of mouth is great, especially in tech-oriented circles, but outside of that, they're falling short. In reality, this all boils down to Ouya vs their marketing department.

If you and your friends are like me everytime I visit a Walmart, Target or Amazon online the first place I visit is the electronics dept. So, come June they will definitely srart having exposer to the OUYA.

Why are (or aren't) you getting a Project Shield?

Nvidia's first in-house android device is due out Q2 of this year (it seems they are aiming for a June release date) - and I am a bit surprised by the lack of conversation going on here at XDA about this device!
Why are (or aren't) you getting a Project Shield? Right now everyone is only able to speculate on price and exact availability, but as it draws closer to June we are sure to get loads of more information.
I'll go first!
I will be ordering one as soon as they become available. This is exactly the device I have been waiting for, for several reasons.
First, I have always never enjoyed on-screen joysticks/buttons as a control for touch-based games. It seems like a backwards way to do it. This eliminates that issue and will make me actually purchase some of these neat Android games.
Secondly, I am a PC gamer at heart, and the one thing I have always been jealous of the XBOX/PS3 guys is that they can lay back on the couch when they get home from work and relax while playing their favorite games. I already use a controller with a bunch of games on my PC (exclusing FPS and Strategy), so this seems like a natural fit for me! As well, once Nvidia gets the streaming to TV working, I can leave my big PC rig in my office while still being able to play my games on the nice HDTV in the living room, using this as the controller. I could not ask for it to be easier, especially with Steam's lovely new Big Picture mode.
Lastly...emulators. Lots and lots of emulators. Nvidia's Tegra 4 seems to be one powerful chip, certainly powerful enough to run all of the emulators on the play store. This will be perfect for SNES/NES/PSX/N64 emulation on my tv..
I'm interested to hear your guy's opinions! Hopefully we can bring some life to this board over the coming months.

Basically you gave every reason i will also purchase one
Can't wait ehehe

I think the Nvidia Shield is a very good idea, as long as you fit within it’s very, very narrow niche targets. Most people won’t, which is why I think it will sell in low numbers despite being some decent hardware. I think I will be buying one though. I’ll explain.
I fit into one of the very few practical uses for this device. I have a high-end (for now) gaming PC with a GTX670 installed. This gaming PC is in my front room, behind my TV. It is there because my PC room became a nursery when I became a dad in 2011. There is no other room in my stupid tiny house for a PC desk. It has to be behind the TV.
To compound matters, I foolishly went and signed up for TiVo. (Freeview reception is woeful in my area). Now my wife has a hard drive chock full of hour after hour of mindless tat (I hate TV. 99% of it bores me silly) which I end up having to watch most nights. It’s driving me mad. I’m frequently sat there just waiting for her to p*ss off to bed so I can start my evening and bleed off the frustration built up from watching 4 hours of sh*te. This is typically around 11pm, by which time, any of my friends on Steam have also gone to bed.
(Apparently this TV consists of “quality time together” in her mind. When I asked her if she would like watching 4 hours of gaming each night and have to wait until 11pm so she could watch her recordings, she thinks this would be unfair and selfish. But I never have to raise a finger around the house and she brings me cold beer so it’s swings and roundabouts I suppose.)
When I read about Shield it seemed to answer the problem. I would be able to sit on the sofa, next to my wife, (quality time) and play on my PC titles whilst she absorbs hours of Celebrity Pets On Ice Makeover Factor. Whilst I am a little unconvinced that I’ll be able to play games like Planetside 2 on a 5” screen, at least I will have the option to play smaller scale stuff like Skyrim or Sim City. Games I can easily pause when she has something to say!
As I already have a nice setup for my keyboard and mouse and headset already able to reach my sofa, all I really needed was the small, portable screen. I thought I could make my own solution for a lot less than the Shield is likely to cost, and get a slightly larger screen. I was wrong. All small 7” to 10” screens were unsuitable for one or all of the following reasons;
1. USB input only, meaning my CPU would be driving the display, not my GPU. Also possible latency issues depending on drivers.
2. Awful resolution. They can all support up to 1080p inputs, but natively they are rarely above 480.
3. Terrible response times. They seem to be ok for desktop computing or widget monitors, but high speed gaming would be motion-blur city.
4. Cost. The only small, portable, high resolution LCD/LED displays with HDMI input and decent response times were for high-end professional photography DSLR camera rigs, costing around £1200.
Anyone with their own computer desk won’t need an Nvidia Shield. Anyone who wants an Android gaming experience can already do so for £30 with an Android device they already own and a PS3 or Xbox360 controller (http://buy.thegameklip.com/) and won’t need an Nvidia Shield. Anyone who wants the hand-held PC gaming experience and doesn't already have at least GTX650, is looking at a starting cost of an additional £200 on top of the eventual cost of the Shield. How many people are going to go for that?
If I could have found a separate small screen that would have been up to spec, I wouldn’t be looking at a Shield either. I’ll be amazed if Nvidia shift many of these upon release. If they cost it much above £250 I’m going to have a hard time justifying it myself.
I am looking forward to being able to lie in bed and play Sim City before going to sleep. There are plenty of Android apps (I use Unified Remote) that can remotely shut down/hibernate your PC over network. I suspect the Nvidia Shield (if they’ve though this through) will also have this though.

I am not getting one but I hope it does well... here's why:
I bought a Moga Pro (which has not arrived yet as their free shipping is the slowest domestic service I've ever experienced). With the controller combined with the LGOG (and it's Tegra 4/Snapdragon 800 based replacement this fall), I expect it to match most of the Project Shield functionality.
I own a high end phone (LG OG + 64gb card) and a high end tablet (Nexus 10 32). To the extent I want a 3rd piece of portable electronics, It would need to do something that the LGOG/Nexus 10 can not do or play a game my devices cannot play. I'd sooner get a 3DS XL for the exposure to a unique gaming library.
The PC gaming has zero value to me (I have a modern laptop (Vaio i7 14" touch screen) but it's graphics are by ATI. There's no way I would get a bulkier laptop (for the 660 graphics) to stream to a more portable.
On the other hand, I hope it succeeds. The better shield does, the better the games android will recieve. I don't particularly like tegra exclusives (expecially since Chainfire's mod doesn't support JB) but most likely my next phone or tablet will have the Tegra 4

one simple reason why not.. thats because i don't own a nvidia GPU. im currently using AMD and don't plan on changing to nvidia anytime soon. from what i understand you can't use the project shield to stream games from PC without having a decent nvidia GPU

I will not be getting it either for the simple reason like stated above have an AMD card. This card is very capable of running games like this to a little device such as the Shield but they will never do it. Given I just bought my rig with some killer specs I am not willing to pay another 300 dollars for a nvidia card ton a system I already spent over 1000 on just to see the same performance out of the card. Its pretty pointless to me plus the precision you have with a mouse is far better then joysticks.

I'm still on the fence. If it's under $200 I'll definitely consider it. I'm basically looking at it as a higher quality alternative to something like the JXD S5300. I want it primarily for emulators, but also some Android games that I think would work well with a controller. If the JXD S5800 actually comes out and doesn't have any major issues I'll probably go with that, as I think that the layout (PS Vita like) would work better for games that still need some help from the touch screen.

I won't get it as it's the first time a device like this is being made, and there'll be unpredictable problems with the device. Sitting on the fence, and I'll be waiting for shield 2. Also, because I'm in no hurry.
One more reason is that I have gtx 560 ti and not 660.
Sent from my C6602 using Tapatalk 2

Def getting one here, I think it's a novel concept and I applaud Nvidia (and any other company) for trying to make a product that is unique. I do have a drawer full of "unique devices" though so it will really be up to Nvidia to stick by the device to make it successful. It is for sure priced at a premium and I believe that will be a barrier for many but, if you are a real hard core PC gamer you are used to spending pretty big bucks for a fast setup so from that perspective the price might be ok.

I pre-ordered one because it has physical buttons. I've been using an Asus Transformer Infinity tablet with a PS3 controller to play emulators when I'm bored at work. Not very Ideal. This morning I sold the infinity on craigslist, took the cash over to gamestop and pre-ordered a shield.
Android Emulators
PC Streaming
Opening new worlds with Root access
These are my reasons OP. I'm hoping that with root access we will find a way to stream the PC games without being on the same wifi network. I have amazing internet at work and at home. My gaming desktop is HUGE.
This is my steam library I have an extremely beefy desktop with an Nvidia card I built.

Well, I saw this section on XDA, and thought it was quite interesting, but I'm definately not going to buy the shield.
- It's marketed by Nvidia, I expect huge prices.
- I'm an eyefinity gamer (this means I play on a resolution of 5760x1080), scaling down to a -7- 5 inch device, while I'm even on the same network? My chair is as comfortable as the couch :/ so I see no reason to stream. (Also, I use ATI cards as Nvidia ones are overpriced over performance. "But ye, I don't have to bull**** about drivers and it just works" - You know what kind of people have that argument as well? People that buy apple)
- It's not even out yet, and pre-ordering is just insanely stupid. You're laying down money for a product that is not even tested, and you're purchasing it for the highest price possible, as products only get cheaper over time. I will even go as far as simply declaring people that pre-order products, may it be games or actual products are extremely retarded.

Svardskampe said:
Well, I saw this section on XDA, and thought it was quite interesting, but I'm definately not going to buy the shield.
- It's marketed by Nvidia, I expect huge prices.
- I'm an eyefinity gamer (this means I play on a resolution of 5760x1080), scaling down to a 7 inch device, while I'm even on the same network? My chair is as comfortable as the couch :/ so I see no reason to stream. (Also, I use ATI cards as Nvidia ones are overpriced over performance. "But ye, I don't have to bull**** about drivers and it just works" - You know what kind of people have that argument as well? People that buy apple)
- It's not even out yet, and pre-ordering is just insanely stupid. You're laying down money for a product that is not even tested, and you're purchasing it for the highest price possible, as products only get cheaper over time. I will even go as far as simply declaring people that pre-order products, may it be games or actual products are extremely retarded.
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Wow, that's a pretty large set of arrogant statements with no good backing. Why do you have an ATI card? If you stuck with a Trident card for longer, the price on that ATI card would come down even more! Calling people who preorder "extremely retarded" only means you're completely removed from rational discussion. I pre-order games if I don't want to have to worry about them on launch day. I pre-order hardware that may be hard to get on launch day (or shortly after). Maybe the real problem is that you can't afford to pre-order products, and you're jealous of people who can? Maybe you're happy with older technology until the dust has settled? Those are good reasons to claim you're not going to pre-order a product. But to announce that everyone online is "extremely retarded" is really just showing your own ignorance and cry-baby mentality.

Svardskampe said:
- It's marketed by Nvidia, I expect huge prices.
- I'm an eyefinity gamer (this means I play on a resolution of 5760x1080), scaling down to a 7 inch device.
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you call us retarded but can't get any facts for yourself before commenting.
A) price is already up. There is no price to expect when it has already been announced.
B) its 5 inches not 7.
C) It doesn't just dream, its a fully fledged android device and very capable of playing games offline, there are quite a few good games coming out on android now.
I want go get shield but its not up for pre order in the UK yet, looks to be around the £230 mark if you do a straight price conversion although if you follow existing trends they will charge £300 or more in the UK because everyone hates us and charges us more for no reason. I can't afford the £230 price tag right now, let alone if it does get a price bump.
If I get one it will likely get loaded with emulators and then it might make an interesting device to make apps for. I couldn't care less about streaming. I just see it as what the PS Vita should have been, a high end android device with a gamepad (yes it is my opinion that the vita would have been much better if it was an android device).

Oh I'm sorry, this is the internet, I need to back up the fact that a cigar is a cigar on every post I make?
The US prices are released, not any international ones. With the current rate, it should come down at €270. Hell no, it will get that tag in Europe. It could go as far as €300 to €400. That's still a huge difference.
And yes, I would go as far as claiming that pre-ordering products is an extremely retarded action. Why would you pay the royal jackpot for a product, that has no one ever reviewed yet, that no one ever put to day-to-day use and could report how it functions. You pay that royal jackpot for a mere idea or concept, led by marketing and manufacturers claims. I cannot see how this could be a good decision in any daylight.
"But to announce that everyone online is "extremely retarded" is really just showing your own ignorance and cry-baby mentality."
Why would that claim be untrue? I see no valid reason why you would not be retarded if you just believe a manufacturer by the nice blue colour of their eyes. I see no ignorance from my side, only those of who pre-order stuff. I see no cry-baby mentality in that statement, only from you who are quite tense in defending your purchase.
It's alright though, it's your purchase, your good decision to do so, and I do not say you can't do that. You're just not that sane in my opinion, just as you think negatively about me. I see you are quite tense. Don't get pushed that much by someone on the internet.

See, I know a lot more about the product than you. I've been playing with it for months. My decision to pre-order has nothing to do with marketing or hype. I choose to pre-order the product based on solid facts, hands on testing, specific knowledge of the features, and specific plans of what I intend to do with it. When I pre-order software, it is generally after either beta testing it or careful homework on the software in question with the knowledge that my friends and I will be playing it on release day together. Since I live in the US, I know the price, and I know whether it will be coming down any time soon. And they aren't allowed to charge me until they ship, so it's not profit to them yet either, I can cancel at any time.
I pay a premium to remain on cutting edge technology, and because of it, I have done well in my career. I owe my current position on getting involved with Android earlier than most people, and diving into the technical aspects of it. That's what I do.
So you can think of me as retarded all you want. I'm thinking you're just too lazy to be an informed buyer until after everyone else already has it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app

PR0XIDIAN said:
I have an extremely beefy desktop with an Nvidia card I built.
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Dat misplaced modifier
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Jsusgarcia179 said:
Dat misplaced modifier
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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LOL! you are right. I was tired when I wrote that. I built the desktop not the Nvidia card

I will definitely be buying one as well. I have already pre ordered the shield. Some of the features that I like are obviously streaming PC games to the device so I can play them while sitting on my couch or in another room. I also like the shield for the controls so I can play games like Shadowgun, modern combat and other games like those. I also like that I can also use it just like any other Android device.
The speakers are here are incredible and it was shown that you can actually play music and use as a speaker alone which I think is a neat idea as well. Lastly I think a lot of developers are going to be making some pretty awesome games for this device and this device especially has endless possibilities.
I already have a set up that will provide a great experience for streaming PC games so don't need to buy anything extra for it to work right out of the box. I currently use Moga pro to play games on my Nexus 10, but it is a pain to carry around both devices for this to happen.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

I`ve pre-ordered mine on May 16, 2013 for a fun reasons like to help developers in test with custom recoveries, kernels, systems or such things. I hope there is going to be guys who willing to develope for this thing something because it got some good potential.

Ixz said:
I`ve pre-ordered mine on May 16, 2013 for a fun reasons like to help developers in test with custom recoveries, kernels, systems or such things. I hope there is going to be guys who willing to develope for this thing something because it got some good potential.
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Recovery looks like it will lack touch for a while, but developing ROMs for it shouldn't be overly difficult.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium HD app

Still waiting

After all the hype this past summer about Android TV powered by NVidia I spent the last half of 2014 keeping my eyes peeled for Android TV news. Then the release of the Nexus with atom/vr was a big disappointment! Now of all things Razer which I thought for sure would use NVidia goes for Qualcomm another disappointment! There is the upcoming Snail Games OBox which looks interesting but does not appear to be Android TV based? Am I the only one who would like a K1 or for that matter X1 powered box? Yes I admit I am a NVidia fan I can notice graphics that come from NVidia colors are different just personal choice.
Contrary to what most of you here enjoy(Mods, Sideloading, etc.) these things should be a choice not something that has to be done to make the system work for such things as storage for games? I currently own FireTV, Madcatz Mojo, Ouya, ADT1 and it seems to me that android still has a way to go before it truely is ready for the living room out of the box? The issue is difficult one player has HBO Go while the other can load apps and Kodi I have been searching for that box that can do all of this DAY 1 ? I am getting older and while I enjoy reading this forum and all the talent it contains I just don't have the energy to perform all these mods just to get what I consider to be that perfect box that just works when you plug it in:victory:?

Very true. I'd consider myself an Android "enthusiast" and got the original Logitech Google TV and then the Sony Google TV. Big disappointments! The Nexus Player is great when compared to those two, but I'm only using it for games right now. The Roku 3 is still superior in terms of media consumption - at least in my eyes.

wastate2014 said:
After all the hype this past summer about Android TV powered by NVidia I spent the last half of 2014 keeping my eyes peeled for Android TV news. Then the release of the Nexus with atom/vr was a big disappointment! Now of all things Razer which I thought for sure would use NVidia goes for Qualcomm another disappointment! There is the upcoming Snail Games OBox which looks interesting but does not appear to be Android TV based? Am I the only one who would like a K1 or for that matter X1 powered box? Yes I admit I am a NVidia fan I can notice graphics that come from NVidia colors are different just personal choice.
Contrary to what most of you here enjoy(Mods, Sideloading, etc.) these things should be a choice not something that has to be done to make the system work for such things as storage for games? I currently own FireTV, Madcatz Mojo, Ouya, ADT1 and it seems to me that android still has a way to go before it truely is ready for the living room out of the box? The issue is difficult one player has HBO Go while the other can load apps and Kodi I have been searching for that box that can do all of this DAY 1 ? I am getting older and while I enjoy reading this forum and all the talent it contains I just don't have the energy to perform all these mods just to get what I consider to be that perfect box that just works when you plug it in:victory:?
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Click to collapse
While I don`t disagree with you, you can wait forever for the latest hardware or UI. There will always be a better chip or box just around the corner and that next release of code is coming any day now. The way I look at it is we are at about gen 1-2 of these devices (I have had a couple already) with a few more to go. You can either sit on the sidelines for another 1-2 years or understand the limitations of what you are getting and play with it. Remember Android TV was released less than a year ago and has some growing up to do. The alternative is a stock Android OS, which requires customization.
I have the NP and think the specs are reasonable for the cost I paid. I could pay to play for all the google services, or tinker (as I have) and install Kodi and a bunch of other apps.
The only problem with your strategy is that in order to get a turn key solution with no tinkering, it will likely come from your friendly cable or IPTV provider with an additional subscription fee.

Wilberry said:
While I don`t disagree with you, you can wait forever for the latest hardware or UI. There will always be a better chip or box just around the corner and that next release of code is coming any day now. The way I look at it is we are at about gen 1-2 of these devices (I have had a couple already) with a few more to go. You can either sit on the sidelines for another 1-2 years or understand the limitations of what you are getting and play with it. Remember Android TV was released less than a year ago and has some growing up to do. The alternative is a stock Android OS, which requires customization.
I have the NP and think the specs are reasonable for the cost I paid. I could pay to play for all the google services, or tinker (as I have) and install Kodi and a bunch of other apps.
The only problem with your strategy is that in order to get a turn key solution with no tinkering, it will likely come from your friendly cable or IPTV provider with an additional subscription fee.
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Click to collapse
Your so right, Its a never ending cycle with new products all the time. It just seems in this case you either have a good OS with ahhhh...specs! , or great specs with terrible software (example: Madcatz Mojo). My worst habit is I shop by specs which gets expensive:silly:
I dont mind spending $$$ for a box but even then the market is bare save PS4 or Xbox....maybe Tivo? Looking forward to a true Android Game Console...Storage and all!

I'm definitely keeping my eyes on the Obox!
If I have to wait, wait I shall. Lol!

Could someone please advise me here.
In terms of longevity of use, lowest cost to own, and performance.
I currently have a Amazon firetv stick. I have been on the fence about buying a game controller as it's $40.
I have seen many ADT-1s sell on eBay for less than $100 with a remote and game controller. It is my understanding that the memory on the adt1 is superior to the nexus player.
However I don't want to buy something that down the road won't be supported. My roku 2xd still works and gets updated. But once I used my firetv stick I was hooked on speed.
I prefer Google devices and love my Nexus 7 2013. It has lots of support too.
Bottom line, and sorry for taking over, but could someone advise me on if I'd be better buying a Nexus Player or adt-1. FYI I'm not a gamer and don't play them often. I prefer my NES and n64. In fact I'd probably love using n64/nes/snes/gbaoid on one of these android tv devices lol.
What's the best for long term stability?
http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/2jlz3z/the_developer_adt1_vs_the_nexus_player_vs_amazon/
Sent from my LG-VS985 adorned w/ Illusion ROM

jfriend33 said:
Could someone please advise me here.
In terms of longevity of use, lowest cost to own, and performance.
I currently have a Amazon firetv stick. I have been on the fence about buying a game controller as it's $40.
I have seen many ADT-1s sell on eBay for less than $100 with a remote and game controller. It is my understanding that the memory on the adt1 is superior to the nexus player.
However I don't want to buy something that down the road won't be supported. My roku 2xd still works and gets updated. But once I used my firetv stick I was hooked on speed.
I prefer Google devices and love my Nexus 7 2013. It has lots of support too.
Bottom line, and sorry for taking over, but could someone advise me on if I'd be better buying a Nexus Player or adt-1. FYI I'm not a gamer and don't play them often. I prefer my NES and n64. In fact I'd probably love using n64/nes/snes/gbaoid on one of these android tv devices lol.
What's the best for long term stability?
http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/2jlz3z/the_developer_adt1_vs_the_nexus_player_vs_amazon/
Sent from my LG-VS985 adorned w/ Illusion ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion, you should get either of these 3:
Mad Catz Mojo Tegra 4
Kepler GPU
£120
Razor Forge TV Snapdragon 805
Adreno 420 GPU
£100
Snail Games Obox Tegra X1
Kepler GPU
£150
Other consoles like Amazon fire TV, Ouya all have outdated specs and you will get a lot better quality with what I mentioned above.
Look up each console and decide what you want.
I personally, want an Obox for the raw power of the X1 soc.

LiamAtkins90 said:
In my opinion, you should get either of these 3:
Mad Catz Mojo Tegra 4
Kepler GPU
£120
Razor Forge TV Snapdragon 805
Adreno 420 GPU
£100
Snail Games Obox Tegra X1
Kepler GPU
£150
Other consoles like Amazon fire TV, Ouya all have outdated specs and you will get a lot better quality with what I mentioned above.
Look up each console and decide what you want.
I personally, want an Obox for the raw power of the X1 soc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very cool I will look into them. Almost bought the Madcatz ctrlr for my firetv stick. Lots of good reviews.
What do you think about this :
http://m.geekbuying.com/ItemDescription/336181
Sent from my LG-VS985 adorned w/ Illusion ROM

jfriend33 said:
Very cool I will look into them. Almost bought the Madcatz ctrlr for my firetv stick. Lots of good reviews.
What do you think about this :
http://m.geekbuying.com/ItemDescription/336181
Sent from my LG-VS985 adorned w/ Illusion ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks good, I'm not really a fan of mediatek chipsets though. But for £100 it's an OK price.

Is the Shield Tablet still worth buying?

I've been considering new tablets, and honestly the Shield Tablet has the features I want and I'm able to get one for $250, which seems reasonable. But I'm just wondering if it's still worth it as the it is a year old. How does it compare to newer devices?

If you're primarily going to be using it for gaming, there isn't a better tablet out there. The tablet is a steal for $250. The latest official update really makes the tablet shine and the custom rom called "Blisspop" even makes the device that much better in terms of performance. You won't regret getting one.

Well at the moment there are not many tablets that are faster (maybe even no faster) than this tablet.
Antutu scores are one of the highest even compared with the latest phones.
So speedwise it is still top notch and tablets that maybe come close you have to pay double the price for compared to a shield.
The 32Gb with Lte is unbeaten for that price.

I bought the 32GB LTE version in July, because an LTE tablet anywhere close to the Shield in terms of specs/screen etc. would have been ~$150 more.
Despite the battery recall issue, I'm satisfied with it. My (original) unit has been working perfectly and is very smooth with Lillipop 5.1 (the 3.1 OTA).
I should be receiving my replacement tomorrow, according to UPS. Presuming it doesn't have a defect, I'm looking forward to settling in. I never bothered to settle in on the old tablet (automatic actions, power saving stuff, that kind of thing) since I found out about the recall shortly after buying it, and didn't bother to fine tune it.
I recommend the tablet as an LTE device in the US, though if I didn't need the LTE connectivity probably there might be better values in wifi only (I'm not a gamer, so other tablets could meet my needs... but there are relatively few 8" LTE tablets without permanently locked bootloaders here).
Marc

The problem of the tablet is really the processor that is getting old pretty quick (don't know exactly it's true performance), but nowadays everything coming out is already being 8 cores at 2 ghz or more.
Keep Cool

But they are often not faster. Gpu of the shield is very fast maybe the fastest around at the moment. The SOC is still one of the fastest around and it is just on the market for 1 year so not that old.
Sent from my HTC One M9

Where can you even buy one of these? In Canada every single place is sold out and saying they won't stock them again. The used market can't find for under $500 either.

M3drvr said:
Where can you even buy one of these? In Canada every single place is sold out and saying they won't stock them again. The used market can't find for under $500 either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Checkout swappa.com

nbollinger said:
Checkout swappa.com
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Click to collapse
There is nothing there for it.

M3drvr said:
There is nothing there for it.
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Click to collapse
https://swappa.com/buy/nvidia-shield-tablet-wifi
its the non-lte, 16 gb version

nbollinger said:
https://swappa.com/buy/nvidia-shield-tablet-wifi
its the non-lte, 16 gb version
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And there are no listings.... Useless.

M3drvr said:
And there are no listings.... Useless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its something on your end then

nbollinger said:
Its something on your end then
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. It's just that there are none...

There seem to be two of them for sale at that link when I go to it. One for $290, one for $320, both advertised as new (resale). Probably you're just filtering by Canadian sellers, based on your picture. Lots of folks in US won't ship outside the US, so no big deal that they aren't showing up for you.
Best of luck finding one!

Frankenscript said:
There seem to be two of them for sale at that link when I go to it. One for $290, one for $320, both advertised as new (resale). Probably you're just filtering by Canadian sellers, based on your picture. Lots of folks in US won't ship outside the US, so no big deal that they aren't showing up for you.
Best of luck finding one!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah my question was basically how to get one to Canada that's under $500. Impossible! Cheapest I've found is on eBay shipped for $530 for 16gb model no accessories.

Snah001 said:
But they are often not faster. Gpu of the shield is very fast maybe the fastest around at the moment. The SOC is still one of the fastest around and it is just on the market for 1 year so not that old.
Sent from my HTC One M9
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing is that there aren't much AAA games to play in the shield, it's a good device more for the extra nvidia stuff.
I'm waiting for Borderlands 2 for a damn long time, but it never comes, and I don't even know if it runs on the device with good performance or if it's just for the Shield TV.
More impressive are some cheap windows tablets that for around 350€ can even run Battlefield 3 on low to mid.
Now with DX12 and tons of compatibility tablets might go more for windows again.
In fact I'm not liking much android, not a single game like the good old C&C Red alert 2, boot takes almost 2 times longer than my wind 10 PC, some websites stop working, multitasking is a joke since we can't even play a youtube music while doing anything else...
ps: Also in most performance tests we see other tablets ahead of Shield, so I don't think anything is actually that much optimized for it, not even most tegra games.
Keep Cool

My Shield Tablet LTE topped my Nexus 9's scores on Antutu plus the Shield gaming is great to have. Let's not forget about the SD slot and the mini HDMI port on top either. This tablet still destroys everything else (even most phones) a year later. I really mine because it has a stylus and no dumb Samsung home button like their Tablet S/S2 does. Its hard to find a good tablet these days yet the Shield holds its ground and doesn't seem to lose any performance over time. I like playing Half Life 2 on it or DOOM 3 especially when I travel. Its nice to have a tablet which can play nice games too even though that's not its primary purpose for me.
---------- Post added at 23:39 ---------- Previous post was at 23:32 ----------
guily6669 said:
The thing is that there aren't much AAA games to play in the shield, it's a good device more for the extra nvidia stuff.
I'm waiting for Borderlands 2 for a damn long time, but it never comes, and I don't even know if it runs on the device with good performance or if it's just for the Shield TV.
More impressive are some cheap windows tablets that for around 350â?¬ can even run Battlefield 3 on low to mid.
Now with DX12 and tons of compatibility tablets might go more for windows again.
In fact I'm not liking much android, not a single game like the good old C&C Red alert 2, boot takes almost 2 times longer than my wind 10 PC, some websites stop working, multitasking is a joke since we can't even play a youtube music while doing anything else...
ps: Also in most performance tests we see other tablets ahead of Shield, so I don't think anything is actually that much optimized for it, not even most tegra games.
Keep Cool
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those cheap windows tablets also use Intel chips in most cases plus Windows an as OS handles things differently than Android does. I agree that there aren't many great games but the ones they do have are fun in my opinion. I have the Shield TV as well and I play all kinds of games including emulators without any issues. My i7 Samsung Ultra book probably can't handle some of the games the Shield can then again I haven't tried. I'm not a big PC gamer but I do know the GPU isn't that great in most Windows tablets/ultrabooks. Android M fixes a lot of the productivity issues and adds multi window and I'm sure Nvidia is working on it now anyway. They tend to lush updates out promptly in most cases unless there's a big issue.
I haven't seen another tablet have better gaming performance than he Shield or Nexus 9 since hwy share a GPU yet use different CPU's. My Nexus 6's SD805 doesn't come close to he 3D score that the tablet does but on Marshmallow it does get a nice ~1500 pt boost likely from the optimization in it. I can imagine the same will occur in the Shield Tablet but we won't know until Nvidia releases it.
I'm not saying the Shield is the best fit everyone but it is a great tablet if you are in the market for a LTE enabled 8in tablet thats fast, runs near stock Android and has nice games for it.

Most of those BEST Nvidia Shield games coming soon are old and I finished them already. (RES5, Half Life, Borderlands, Doom...).
The thing is, you get a good device, but you will probably end playing most games that your phone already can play maxed out.
Other thing is Nvidia blahblahblah says it's more powerful than a X360 GPU, but then most games have a little lag and nothing, but really nothing made to the android yet comes close to most X360\PS3 gameplay\physics (they just look good, but plays like crap).
Then it's my 4th Nvidia shield all are defective and the last one needs to go to RMA again.
I never had an android device, so I wanted to try it, with my experience is just a god damn bugged SO worst than windows.
Also I got sad with the strategy games and how nothing on the android thousand of games even come close to Command and Conquer Red Alert II from like 2000
My opinion:
GOOD:
- hardware Performance;
- Sound;
- has it's own wireless gamepad;
- Nvidia software + remote pc play (button mapping already in the tablet, no need to root 4 that);
- More games than other android devices;
BAD:
- Android is not really optimized;
- Not much AAA games:
- Nothing like C&C, age of empires, Skyrim........ (most games are very cheap copies of good games, but look like a 2003 game);
- In the real world, performance is not as big as nvidia make you think (best phones now probably have better performance, like Samsung S6 which is a lot more little and doesn't come close to having more than a hundred cores like this nvidia);
- Screen quality is not that awesome, it is a High resolution LCD, but nothing special besides that. It doesn't get any close to samsung phone's\tablet amoled screens;
- Battery doesn't last much either;
I actually think that something like that made for DX12 and wind 10 would probably get almost twice the performance than on the actual android OS. At least I saw some people playing BF3 on dell cheap 1 year old tablets that cost basically the same as this nvidia shield. Nowadays with DX12 and Wind 10 soon may be a new era for tablets (it seems windows based hardware have more performance per price than android devices). At least I never seen any 300€ android tablet playing anything close to a BF3 which is years ahead in gameplay + physics than any android game I ever seen\played until now.
ps: If it was today I would buy a ~350€ DELL wind tablet that can even play BF3 (guess what? No need to Root for anything as you own everything already and can update\mod everything).
Keep Cool