Ouya pre-orders begin, expected to ship in June

The Android-based Ouya console is now available for pre-order on the official website. The console comes with one controller and will cost $99.99 (about Rs 5,303). An extra controller will cost you $49.99 (around Rs 2,651). Though this is a rather steep price for a controller, the inclusion of the touchpad makes it premium, according to Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman. The console is expected to start shipping in June 2013.

The company also announced some changes to the controller in response to feedback from the community. The company has changed the d-pad design from a ‘disc’ to a ‘cross’ style. This is for greater accuracy and precision. The touchpad has also been made more responsive. The thumbsticks are getting a new rubberised top that will give better traction, and the triggers will have improved design and mechanics. The battery bay for the controller will also be made of higher-quality material.

The Ouya controller has undergone some changes

Back in January, a developer going by the alias Aptual released a video of Roasty Rooster on the Ouya. While the game seems to run fine, the developer has warned that it is still an un-optimised build, so issues like lag spikes and inefficient menu controls are bound to occur.

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According to the developer, the video was not meant to demonstrate the technical excellence of the platform or the game, but to show that games are easy to adapt for the Ouya. This also works well as a technical demonstration, as the game is made with Unity3D.

Ouya earlier released a video of everything packed in the developer kits that were shipped in December last year. The video shows what developers and backers of the Kickstarter campaign will be getting in the kit.

Along with the console itself, the dev kit contains a letter to developers that warns of the bugs that will be present as it is still an early version of the console. For those who aren’t developers, the note also mentions that the early development kit does not include any games.

The dev kit includes two controllers that are made of plastic and are transparent. The final version of the controllers will not be plastic. The controllers feature removable covers that will let owners customise the look of their controllers as well as house the batteries.

The console itself features a micro USB port that will allow you to connect it to a computer. It also features a fan inside that allows for work on high-performance projects. It has a panel at the back that can be unscrewed, letting you mess around with the insides of the console.