consoles

Google said to be creating game console and smartwatch

Google appears to be boosting both its wearable tech and its gaming status. According to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), the tech giant is working on developing both a video game console and a smartwatch that could run on Android.

Last year, Google unveiled a Web-connected media-playing console, dubbed the Nexus Q, but it never sold it to the public. The spherical device featured glowing LEDs that responded to music. The Q also streamed content directly from Google Play Music, Google Play TV & Movies, and YouTube, using an Android phone or tablet as the controller. However, a couple … Read more

Nvidia delays Shield to July, due to 11th-hour dilemma

Just when you thought it was out, they pull it back in. Nvidia has delayed its Shield portable gaming console just one day before its original June 27, 2013 (that's tomorrow for you skimmers out there) shipping date to an as-yet undetermined date in July.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the company cites a "mechanical issue" as the culprit:

During our final QA process, we discovered a mechanical issue that relates to a third-party component. We want every Shield to be perfect, so we have elected to shift the launch date to July. We'll update … Read more

Ouya launches for $99; already sold out on Amazon, GameStop

Ouya, the open-source game console that became a massive hit on Kickstarter, has officially launched to the public. And already, it's unavailable in a few online stores.

As expected, the $99.99 console hit the market on Tuesday at Best Buy, GameStop, and Target. The Android-based console is also available at Amazon. However, as of this writing, Ouya is already sold out on Amazon and GameStop. It is still available online at Best Buy and Target.

The Ouya console doesn't have the firepower of its competitors, like the upcoming Xbox One and PlayStation 4. But thanks to its … Read more

Microsoft Xbox One policy switch makes user forums explode

Relief, disbelief, and some leftover bitterness surround Microsoft pulling a 180 on its Xbox One "always-on" policy.

Gamers have taken to forums, comment threads, and social media to express how they feel about the tech giant flip-flopping on the series of rules and restrictions that would have required Xbox One gamers to connect their consoles to the Internet once a day to prevent game piracy.

Microsoft announced Wednesday that it was backtracking on this much-derided policy, causing a flood of user reaction.

On Xbox's Facebook and Twitter accounts, tens of thousands of users have commented on the … Read more

PS4's lead architect disses Xbox One on Fallon show

Microsoft's upcoming Xbox One received a not-so-subtle dig courtesy of a spot on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."

Continuing video-game week on his show, Fallon invited Mark Cerny, chief system architect of the Sony PS4, to appear Tuesday to discuss and demo Sony's upcoming game console. Before diving into playing an actual game, the two chit-chatted about the PS4's various features.

At one point, Fallon chimed in: "The big story that everyone's talking about is that this system [the PS4] is the only one where you can still play used games." To … Read more

Mad Catz MOJO Micro-Console runs Android, features console-quality controller

Stop me if you've heard this one before: company plans to release a "micro-console" in 2013 as an alternative to the mainstream consoles from Sony and Microsoft. Said console to run Android.

The Mad Catz MOJO Android Micro-Console is the latest such device to be deemed press-release-worthy and hopefully worth your attention as a gamer. Micro-console is a name given to a number of alternative video game systems using the Android operation system although that's not necessarily a requirement. The consoles have thus far featured much smaller-than-usual form factors. Hence the term.

If you've been … Read more

Xbox One and PS4: Two peas in an E3 pod

Who won E3 so far? Was it the Xbox One? Or, was it the PS4 that kicked its butt? Did Sony dominate, totally smack down Microsoft, and run away with Best in Show?

All I know, from a distance, is this: boy, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 look a lot alike.

The picture above is from a classic "Star Trek" episode featuring two different alien races that fought bitterly but were more alike than they dared to admit. Sound familiar?

The moment the PS4 was unveiled, in its boxy glory, you couldn't help but be reminded … Read more

PlayStation history shows PS4 can beat the Xbox One (video)

Sony stunned the gaming world this week by divulging that its new PlayStation 4 console will be significantly cheaper than its major rival, the Xbox One. But does it stand a chance against the might of Microsoft?

To find out, watch as we plunge headlong into the rich history of the PlayStation, from its humble beginnings as a failed co-project with Nintendo, to the might of the all-powerful PlayStation 2.

Along the way we'll slap you about the cheeks with nostalgic treats, from old-school adverts to one particularly creepy T-Rex. Spinning up to the present day like an educational … Read more

Sony reveals the PlayStation 4, and its price: $399 (hands-on)

Editors' note, June 19, 2013: This First Take was updated after Microsoft announced its reversal of DRM and online-connected policies on the Xbox One.

The PlayStation 4 was originally announced at an event in New York City back in February, during which we heard plenty of details about features and strategy but didn't glimpse the system itself -- just its new controller.

Sony didn't make the same mistake twice. At the E3 gaming show in Los Angeles, the PS4 finally showed its face -- and its price: $399, which undercuts Microsoft's Xbox One by $100.

Now that … Read more