Ouya Review Roundup: Can the $99 Console Compete with Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft's Consoles?

The Ouya video game console has been released to the general public, in addition to those who backed the Kickstarter campaign that funded the device. The console may not be for those craving blockbuster titles, but at $99, it delivers a solid performance that offers gamers a more low-key video game experience. As Joystiq points out, one of the main appeals of the console is it's size and the library of games that all have some portion free to play:

"Overall, I'm pleased with the Ouya. Its library of games isn't out to dethrone Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto, but the simple, fine-tuned pleasures of games like TowerFall serve as a welcome complement to the cash-infused giants on other platforms. On top of that, I can easily toss the Ouya and a handful of controllers into a backpack and take it to a friend's house, which isn't something I can say about my Xbox, PS3 or PC (not yet, anyway)."

However, this does have some drawbacks, as the Android-powered console does not feel as polished as other consoles, or even some mobile devices. In addition, several media features that gamers have gotten used to, such as Netflix, are not currently available on Ouya. Digital Spy also points out that several of the console's main aspects, such as the search feature, are not quite up to par with the standards gamers expect in this day and age:

"Game downloads are fast and easy, but searching is limited - you cannot browse by cost or developer - and there's no download queue to view pending software at a glance, meaning there's no way to later prioritize what you should download first.One of the advantages of Ouya is that every game is free to try, which is a welcome requirement.Unfortunately the cost of games aren't listed in the shop, so it's impossible to know how much something is until you're inside the game itself."

While there's lots of potential in the Ouya, right now the console needs some serious improvements in order to stand out and be a long-term success. Kotaku sums of the general feeling about the Ouya best:

"Yes, this is an Android machine. Yes, Android doesn't standardize things the way Apple does on iOS, let alone the way Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo do on proven game consoles. The lack of polish and tolerance of sloppiness on Ouya, however, is off-putting and are the things that most make the console feel cheap. The extent to which things are improved-the extent to which the Ouya 'just work'"-will indicate how serious and how capable the Ouya people are about running a platform gamers can support and believe in."