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GameStick Android console delayed again, beset by bugs

The Android-powered games console won't go on sale until the end of November at the earliest, and early reports say it has a few problems.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
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Joe Svetlik
2 min read

British Android-powered games console GameStick has been delayed again, Micro Console World reports. The console was supposed to launch back in April, then August, then the end of September. Then an October release was mooted, then 8 November. Now Amazon lists the console as being released on 29 November -- the same day as the PS4 here in the UK -- while the official site says you'll get yours by 15 December.

Not only that, those who backed the console in the US have found theirs beset by bugs, and have taken to Amazon to vent their frustration.

"Daniel" says his console can't get a Wi-Fi signal. He contacted PlayJam, the maker of GameStick, and it replied that he wasn't the only one struggling to connect wirelessly. It said the antenna inside GameStick is quite small, and can be swamped by signals from other devices. Daniel says he followed PlayJam's advice, but the console still won't connect.

"Raymond Pfaff" says his GameStick was "DOA straight out of the box". Meanwhile "Sean T." complains his keeps freezing, and reboots for no reason.

I've contacted PlayJam for comment, and will update this story if I hear back.

The GameStick has had pretty mixed reviews, too. Venture Beat said it was more accessible than Android rival Ouya, thanks to its "simple setup process and superior controller". But it did say it occasionally froze and rebooted. The Verge gave it 4.5 out of 10, noting its "questionable build quality", while the Gadget Show awarded it an impressive 4 out of 5.

Let's hope these are just teething issues. The GameStick costs just £79.99, so it could be a great -- and affordable -- rival to the Ouya. And PlayJam is a British company too, which makes me root for it all the more.

Have you pre-ordered a GameStick? Let me know what you think of it in the comments, or on our Facebook page.