OUYA, the Kickstarter-funded, $99 game console built around the Android operating system, has undergone a few changes since its big splash on the gaming scene last summer. Specifically, and significantly, public urging has convinced the OUYA team to rethink key elements of the forthcoming console’s controller.
In a blog post on the OUYA website yesterday, the team has confirmed that the controller will no longer feature a disc-type directional pad, but will opt for a more traditional (and functional; get with the program, Microsoft!) cross-type pad. This was apparently the number one request spurring the redesign, and has been very well received by excited commenters on the project’s website.
Other changes include rubberized thumbsticks and a more responsive touchpad to improve control precision, as well as tweaked analog triggers that now sit “a little more flush with the body of the controller.” The battery fits more tightly, too.
Expected to ship in April, OUYA seems poised to make a real run for market share in the gaming world. The console’s comparatively low price point and the company’s willingness to take and implement advice from its prospective user base certainly help its chances.
[OUYA]
