As Sony and Microsoft gear up to exert themselves as the true dominant forces in the gaming market later this year, many smaller (and larger) companies are rolling out their own consumer-friendly consoles. Devices like the Ouya, the Mad Catz' Project Mojo, and the Nvidia Shield all want to steal a piece of that console pie, while at the same time trying to do something unique.
Now, it appears yet another contender is looking to enter the fold, and it's one no few expected: Amazon. Yes, you read that right; popular online retailer Amazon may be developing a console for release later this year.
The scoop on this Amazon console comes courtesy of two concurrent reports, one from Game Informer and one from GamesBeat. Both sites claim that Amazon is hard at work on an Android-powered device, and that they are hoping to bring the console to market before Black Friday.
In fact, GB claims that Amazon has already exhibited the console — potentially to attract developers — but that the company is unsure how serious they are about developing retail versions. It may be real, but this Amazon console might never make it past the early testing phase.
It makes sense that Amazon would be working on an Android console, as that seems to be the popular thing for Fortune 500 companies to do these days. Both Google and Apple are rumored to be working on their own home console alternatives, so why wouldn't yet another popular company try their hand at it.
The current benchmark for the Android console, the Ouya, has made the biggest splash so far, but that device also left a lot to be desired. There are some really cool things about the Ouya, but as our review of the console explains, there's room to improve. Perhaps with a more established infrastructure, like Amazon's app store, a $100 console could find greater success.
At the same time, there's bound to be an oversaturation point for Android consoles. And with the Xbox One and PS4 right around the corner, it's going to be harder for these companies to get their consoles the type of attention they need. Obviously, there's a greater profit incentive when it's your own console, but we'd suspect Amazon is equally as excited about the potential revenue that will flow in from new console sales. We'll just have to wait and see where this Amazon console actually happens.
Would you be interested in an Android console created by Amazon? Do you think cheap consoles like the Ouya will be able to compete with the PS4 and Xbox One?
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Source: Game Informer, GamesBeat