Don't call it OUYA: hands-on with PlayJam's GameStick (video)

The GameStick is the second of two Kickstarter-backed Android-powered game consoles announced in the past 12 months, and its arguably the less visible of the two (the other being OUYA, of course). It’s a bit different than the OUYA as well, in terms of both form factor and specs: the GameStick is roughly the size of a USB thumb drive and runs a dual-core Amlogic processor, rather than the Tegra 3 found in the OUYA. Similar to the OUYA, the GameStick also comes with a proprietary wireless controller — the standard four button layout, two analog sticks, two shoulder buttons, and a d-pad make up its inputs — though the GameStick’s controller is actually the bulk of the hardware. The GameStick itself actually nestles into the back of the controller, making the whole bundle rather portable.

But perhaps you already know all of this? We have been hearing about the GameStick for some time now. Should that be the case, you’ll wanna know how the thing actually feels, and we can deliver that just beyond the break, as we’ve just put GameStick and its controller through the paces.

Gallery: GameStick hands-on (GDC 2013)