Google Announces a Gaming Console/HTPC

[LAwLz]

 

 

Specs:

1.8GHz Quad core Intel Atom with PowerVR 6 series GPU. (Most likely the Atom Z2460 which means the GPU is a G5430, the same as the iPhone 5S).

1GB of RAM

8GB of local storage.

 

Ports:

HDMI out

MicroUSB 2.0

 

Wireless connectivity:

Wireless AC

Bluetooth 4.1

NO ETHERNET PORT (Why the hell not Google?)

 

Size and weight:

12cm in diameter and 2cm tall.

Weighs 235 grams.

 

Key Features:

Comes with a remote which allows for voice commands (button for it can be seen in the image above).

Looks like it will have the Android TV interface.

Supports Google Cast, so any ChromeCast app will be able to beam to it.

Syncs your content across all your devices.

 

Pre-orders start on October 17th.

No words on pricing yet.

Looks like it's made by Asus (or at least the controller is).

 

 

It does NOT come with the controller you see in the picture.

 

 

My opinion:

This looks like Google's attempt at making an OUYA. I actually really like the concept of the OUYA although the Tegra 3 it shipped with was not powerful enough for my needs.

If this costs ~99 dollars or less then I can see it being a big hit. Price is a huge factor though, and it will most certainly decide the fate of this.

For me, it needs to be able to play emulators and by Chinese cartoons (more demanding than you might think). If it does that and it is cheap then I'll really like it.

 

Edit: Other people in the thread have bought up two interesting ideas.

1) Steam in-home streaming. If someone manages to get it running on this then that would be fantastic (assuming the price is low which I think it will be).

2) Running Windows on it. I doubt this will happen but you never know.

 

 

For those of you who are interested in what the UI looks like here is a (pretty old) video about Android TV which also shows off the controller. Android TV is the OS this little box is running. Thanks @Opcode for the link.

 

 

Edit:

 

According to the website Recode, AndroidPolice, TechCrunch and many others the Nexus Player will cost 99 dollars and the controller will cost 39 dollars.

 

 

Source: Google

[Psykomantis00]

If it only plays android games, I don't care. 

[Pugs501]

...

[brownninja97]

next gen HD. 4k, 8k, 9001k. Nothing that this console cant handle.

[Coombzy]

Nexus Player made by ASUS I cri evry tiem where is the new Nexus 7 :3 

[BallGum]

Honestly, if Ouya had been executed better it could have caught on. I think micro consoles have potential, especially if they have game stream technology, as well as a couple of killer apps.

Edit: why the hell does it not use an nVidia Tegra K1. I guess costs could be an issue but damn, it could have been awesome.

[Trik'Stari]

I'd laugh if it was somehow cheaper and more powerful than sony and microshit's shitboxes

[Archangel1994]

next gen HD. 4k, 8k, 9001k. Nothing that this console cant handle.

Totally not sarcasic Kappa

 

Really? They call this a gaming console?

[Sauron]

Considering it has an atom cpu, nothing's stopping us from installing windows and running pc games on this (not star citizen of course but there is a huge library of older games the atom will run just fine). If the price is right I actually find this interesting.

[Guest]

If I stack 8 of these on top of each other, will that make a Mac Pro?

[exyia]

I'm sorry....but why wouldn't I just get an NVidia shield instead? this seems so stupid....

 

but I guess that's more to NVidia's credit than google's fault - NVidia shield seems like way more value for what you get than this garbage

[DLM_012]

Finally a news post that's actually readable. Thank you for taking the time to do so.

 

On topic, I see no point in this for myself personally. If anything, Google should have released this prior to the launch of the Chromecast. The way I see it, this device is already DOA as it will be cannibalized by the Chromecast.

[LukaP]

Considering it has an atom cpu, nothing's stopping us from installing windows and running pc games on this (not star citizen of course but there is a huge library of older games the atom will run just fine). If the price is right I actually find this interesting.

are there PowerVR drivers for windows?

[Kingofpants]

If it can run steam in home sstreaming, Its worth it.

Beside , if googled making it Its probably gonna be like 100$

[Sauron]

I'm sorry....but why wouldn't I just get an NVidia shield instead? this seems so stupid....

 

You can't run windows on a shield, with this theoretically you can. That's where I see this showing its full potential. It's basically a tiny media pc that can play some older games and comes with a controller.

[Octagoncow]

As some other people have said, I'm not so sure how well this will turn out. I'm all for android micro consoles, but I don't know why I would get this compared to current products unless it's super cheap.

[dizmo]

Only 8gb of storage? Odd choice. I wonder if it'll end up having expansion. That's like 5 larger Android games.

[Octagoncow]

You can't run windows on a shield, with this theoretically you can. That's where I see this showing its full potential. It's basically a tiny media pc that can play some older games and comes with a controller.

It doesn't come with the controller

[bogus]

I'm sorry....but why wouldn't I just get an NVidia shield instead? this seems so stupid....

 

but I guess that's more to NVidia's credit than google's fault - NVidia shield seems like way more value for what you get than this garbage

You are mixing everything - anyone who is going to buy this is not looking for a tablet, neither wants to pay the price of a tablet.

Stupidity is to consider this device garbage because it's not a tablet made by nvidia

[DLM_012]

If it can run steam in home sstreaming, Its worth it.

Beside , if googled making it Its probably gonna be like 100$

 

Hmm didn't think of it from this angle. Even if in home streaming users bought this by the boatloads, it still probably wouldn't sell well enough and get killed off by Google regardless.

[Me1z]

The description is missing one vital piece of information, what GPU does it use? If they expect to make their money back on this they better have used a GPU capable of playing proper games. If all it can play is android/facebook games then this will be one of Google's biggest flops to date. Even console gamers will laugh when they hear about this. This basically looks like an android powered steambox that uses cellphone hardware. What market are you aiming for with this product, exactly?

[BallGum]

The description is missing one vital piece of information, what GPU does it use? If they expect to make their money back on this they better have used a GPU capable of playing proper games. If all it can play is android/facebook games then this will be one of Google's biggest flops to date. Even console gamers will laugh when they hear about this. This basically looks like an android powered steambox that uses cellphone hardware. What market are you aiming for with this product, exactly?

Micro Console market. The GPU had been addressed.

[clementk]

might be nice if its cheap use that with limelight and you have PC gameing on the TV ( on my LG G2 i have 32MS ping with limelight and i am on wireless N) give that a Ethernet port and i am sold

[WolfDeville]

Sauron, on 16 Oct 2014 - 03:41 AM, said:

Considering it has an atom cpu, nothing's stopping us from installing windows and running pc games on this (not star citizen of course but there is a huge library of older games the atom will run just fine). If the price is right I actually find this interesting.

 1gb ram....

[RH00D]

I suspect this will go over about as well as the Nexus Q did. What's that, you've never heard of the Nexus Q? That's probably due to the severity at which it failed.