Ouya gets unboxing video, shows contents of developer kit

After having recently shipped developer versions of the Ouya console, the company has now released a video that shows everything that is packaged in the dev kit. While the official release of the console is slated for March 2013, the video shows what 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 plastic is set to be changed for the official launch. 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 allows developers 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 hackers mess around with the insides of the console.

Recently, the company had started shipping the developer consoles. Other good news for aspiring Ouya developers is that the developer portal for the console has been started. Devs can access all the information they want from the dev portal, along with downloading the Ouya Development Kit itself. Along with the ODK download and information, the dev portal also acts as a forum for those interested in developing for the $99 console.

The tiny console is highly modifiable thanks to being open source

Earlier this month, Jules Kane had announced that the Ouya would be shipped to developers starting on December 28. "Of course, when the final consoles ship, every Ouya will be a dev console," noted Ouya's Jules Kane on the official blog. "What we didn't tell you was that the advance dev consoles you ordered are pretty special - you'll know what I mean when you open yours. They're rare drops."

The dev consoles are an early version of the Ouya and will have controllers designed for testing games. The company is also testing an early version of the Ouya Development Kit (ODK). When the dev consoles ship to game developers, all developers, including those who don't have a dev console, will be able to get their hands on the ODK through a web portal.

Back in November, the company announced through a blog post that Ouya would be shipping with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The blog post doesn’t give out any more details of the Jelly Bean experience on the $99 console, but it does outline the system’s capabilities. So, game developers can start developing before the dev kits and the SDK for the console are released in December. The post gives a general overview of the game’s hardware, interface, display, payments, software settings and game art.

It’s also revealed that Ouya is designed to run only one game at a time. This means that there will only be a couple of light services running in the background and the system resources will be available solely for the currently running game.