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GameStick HDMI micro-console tested in hands-on video

Check out the tiny GameStick console, a Kickstarter success story, ahead of its July release date.

Luke Westaway Senior editor
Luke Westaway is a senior editor at CNET and writer/ presenter of Adventures in Tech, a thrilling gadget show produced in our London office. Luke's focus is on keeping you in the loop with a mix of video, features, expert opinion and analysis.
Luke Westaway
Watch this: GameStick hands-on test

Hit play on the video above to ogle the GameStick, a tiny thumb drive-sized games console that plugs into your TV via HDMI.

In our hands-on test, you'll see how this Android-powered system is powered by your telly, and get a look at the wireless controller that controls the on-screen action.

Although it's built on Android, you can't install any old games from Google Play onto the GameStick. Instead, you'll need to wait for developers to adapt their games for the platform, so it remains to be seen therefore whether there will be enough titles available in future to keep gamers occupied in the long term.

The stick is a Kickstarter success story, having raised over $647,000 on the crowd-funding site earlier in the year. It's entering the real world now, in a bid to do battle with similar systems like the Ouya console, as well as upcoming gaming heavyweights like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

It's out on 9 July costing £80 -- will you invest in the cheap-and-cheerful GameStick, or would you rather see a new system from Microsoft or Sony nestled under your television? Watch the video and let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.