The Archos GamePad, touted to be the first (and true, whatever that meant in the press release) Android-powered games console that is portable, will merge powerful tablet hardware alongside revolutionary gaming software. The big question is this – will it be able to go up against the likes of the Nintendo 3DS when it comes to the portable gaming market, let alone make a dent in the number of Sony PS Vitas sold? Only time will tell, but let us dive into its hardware specifications.
For starters, the Archos GamePad will run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and comes with full access to Google Play as well as Google Mobile Services. You can pick it up for €149.99 in Europe, but folks who are living in the US and Canada will only be able to get their hands on the Archos GamePad sometime in the first quarter of next year. It will pack 14 physical buttons, dual analog thumb-sticks, a special Archos game mapping tool, a 5” capacitive 1024 x 600 resolution, all crammed into a chassis that measures 10mm thin and tips the scales at 330 grams.
The 1.6GHz dual-core CPU and quad-core Mali 400 MP GPU ought to be more than enough for your gaming attempts, and its 8GB internal memory with a microSD memory card slot rounds off the list of features.