GameStick: A Portable TV Game Console That Doesn’t Cost A Fortune

The Gamestick

The space for gaming consoles is getting a little crowded now. You’ve got the Xbox and Playstation for hardcore console gamers and the Wii for the ones who prefer a more casual approach to gaming. Soon we will have Ouya, which takes a low cost approach to gaming. The makers behind Gamestick think that you need another one though.

Gamestick is “the most affordable, open and portable TV games console ever created” according to its makers. At a $79 price point, they certainly have got the ‘affordable’ part under control. Gamestick is Android based so it should be able to run all major titles from the Play Store.

The whole setup consists of the Gamestick and a controller which plugs into the HDMI slot of any TV. The stick runs a custom dashboard that can play Android games. Support for other Bluetooth controllers as well as Android and iOS devices to function as controllers is also expected when the product launches.

We aren’t terribly convinced about the design of the controller as it looks like something from the 90s. And while we are nitpicking, we aren’t entirely sure that the Gamestick will take off. The Ouya looks like the real deal and it’s small enough to be considered portable. So we aren’t sure how popular the Gamestick will prove to be.

The Gamestick And Controller

The gamestick project has made a killing on Kickstarter though. The team behind Gamestick set a $100,000 target and with 16 days to go more than $380,000 have been successfully raised. You can get the entire bundle plus a few perks that will stroke your ego for a low price of $69 if you contribute right now.

Do you think Gamestick is a good idea? Would you ever go for such a device or would you prefer something like Ouya? Let us know in the comments below!