The Ouya is getting pretty bad reviews from tech websites and is being described as "vision-less" with software in a "pre alpha state", flimsy, cheap hardware construction; and a lack of decent games. The general message is that the stars must align absolutely right in every way for it to become something worth purchasing. It must improve the console's software and hardware dramatically, there actually needs to be demand for it, and needs developers of all kinds to buy into the platform for it to be worth wile. And all of those things happening isn't very likely.

The Verge: 3.5/10

For $99, everyone who backed Ouya's Kickstarter has unwittingly signed up to beta-test a game console. Alpha-test, even: this is a product with some good ideas and a potentially promising future, but it's a million miles away from something worth spending your money on. Even if the concept is right, the Ouya misses the mark. The controller needs work, the interface is a mess, and have I mentioned there's really nothing to do with the thing? I'm not even sure the concept is right, either: there are plenty of fun Android games, but currently few that work well with a controller and even fewer that look good on your television.

Let's say everything goes exactly right for Ouya. Every good game in the Play Store becomes available to Ouya, Netflix and Amazon decide to play nice with the device, and the ROM and hacker community explode and make every app and many more available to the nascent platform. Then and only then, Ouya can be viable — if it can combine a decent set-top box with a decent gaming platform, it may have a case to make for your $99. But those are a lot of cards that have to fall a particular way, and without them the Ouya is a lot more like a Raspberry Pi than an Xbox 360.

To its credit, the company says loudly and often that this is only the beginning of a long road for Ouya — and I'll be watching its progress with interest. But the device is currently being sold as a product, not a prototype, and that's just wrong. Ouya isn't a viable gaming platform, or a good console, or even a nice TV interface. I don't know what it is, but until Ouya figures it out, it's not worth $99.

GOOD STUFF
Inexpensive
Inconspicuous design
Plenty of raw power

BAD STUFF
Too few games
Existing games aren't very good
Problematic, unfinished interface

Engadget: No score

The version of OUYA shipping now should be considered a beta release, and anyone hoping for anything more is in for some disappointment. It's simply not ready for retail. The system is rough around the edges in many ways, quite literally when regarding the controller, but the interface and menus also could use work.

And then there is, of course, the game selection. There are quite a few titles here worth playing, but virtually all of them have been seen elsewhere in one form or another, which makes the initial offering a bit hard to get excited about. Additionally, the vast majority are what we'd broadly call "mobile" games: simple experiences and simple graphics that are fine for casual play, but lack the kind of immersion you might want when you get settled in at home on your couch.

So, is the OUYA a revolution in console gaming? No, it isn't -- not yet. But it's early days still. As of this writing there are roughly two months until the system launches at retail -- time enough, we hope, to flesh out the interface, fix the controller and maybe, just maybe, line up a few new games worth getting really excited about. We'll be back with a full review of that version when it ships.

Will update when more are posted.  

I backed it and am expecting it soon (well an email saying its shipped to me), I hope I can do some cool stuff with it.  

predictable  

I don't like e Ouya, it's just another cheap version of a ps2 (with some different things)
It did raise more in Kickstarter than the Oculus right?  

Yay overhype  

Twitch are partnering with them  

Still prefer the Oculus Rift to be honest, and I got several reasons why the rift.

I always respect Verge's opinion too.  

for 99 bux im not sure what people are expecting. i'd probably use it as an emulator.  

Posted by Johnaudi

Still prefer the Oculus Rift to be honest, and I got several reasons why the rift.

I always respect Verge's opinion too.

You can't compare the OUYA to the oculus rift lol.  

Ouya is a concept that is going to have a rough start because of the marketing(it runs android games, and android games are currently all designed for touch screen), yet it needs support to get out of the initial ditch. It's going to be tough to get positive feedback from its launch when it needs to gain support to get to where it needs to be.

No one is going to make controller-supported games for Android unless Ouya gets a bit more popular, but it can't get popular until it gets controller-supported games.

Truly the appeal is what Crono has said: many people will probably get them as one single all-in-one emulator that easily hooks up to the TV. Then you'll have developers that will love to make Android games easily for the console market(consoles invoke an entirely different feeling than playing on a PC).

I was never that big of a supporter of Ouya, but I don't know what else people expected. People can't expect to throw money at it and just expect it to succeed. It needs to hurdle that initial obstacle before it can show any true potential. It would be nice to see some big-name indie games target the Ouya to give it a little boost. There's already so many games on the Android market that were ported from controller-based consoles to touch-screen, that would now need to be ported back to controller. Those are the games to target(like the GTA series, some of the indie PC ports and so on).  

Posted by Imprint

You can't compare the OUYA to the oculus rift lol.

Oh really? Why not?  

Posted by Johnaudi

Oh really? Why not?

Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset to help enhance a gaming experience.

Ouya is an android-based console platform aimed to provided a low-cost console with an interesting developer business model that current consoles don't provide. I would also say it has a chance of being a popular option in the 'media brick' market (Apple TV, Roku, Boxee, etc.) as well.

They're two completely different things, the only common attribute is wanting to provide a "different" gaming experience.

However both the success of the Ouya and even the Oculus Rift will depend greatly on the developers supporting it.  

Posted by fp4

Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset to help enhance a gaming experience.

Ouya is an android-based console platform aimed to provided a low-cost console with an interesting developer business model that current consoles don't provide. I would also say it has a chance of being a popular option in the 'media brick' market (Apple TV, Roku, Boxee, etc.) as well.

They're two completely different things, the only common attribute is wanting to provide a "different" gaming experience.

However both the success of the Ouya and even the Oculus Rift will depend greatly on the developers supporting it.

Not different things actually, Ouya's goal (as said in the video shown in Kickstarter) to make people re-attacked to their TV. The rift would actually work 'on your eyes'. Ouya has it's own platform (Android), so does the Oculus (Oculus SDK, Unity, UT3). Both are genetically consoles, both have their own games that works for themselves.
Ouya (I'm not sure with who it is partnered) and the Rift (partnered with Unity, Valve, Unreal Tournament)... At the moment, both of them are aimed to developers, open source.

As much as an Ouya needs a TV, so does the Oculus with a PC (currently, but soon it will be portable and could be run with multiple platforms), the Oculus 'does' have a controller, and it could be any controller connected to the PC (a keyboard will not work).

Compared.  

ouya is an android console, the rift isn't its own standalone console with its own library of games. existing games add support for rift.  

Posted by Crono

ouya is an android console, the rift isn't its own standalone console with its own library of games. existing games add support for rift.

What do you mean? Existing android games also works on the Ouya too (controller, screen etc)...