Hasta La Gadget!

Archos has jumped aboard the mobile gaming bandwagon with their latest release, calling it the Archos GamePad. Well, this is the first dedicated mobile gaming device from Archos which runs on the Android operating system, but as to whether it is capable of challenging the Nintendo 3DS, let alone the Sony PS Vita or aged Sony PSP remains to be seen. After all, having fantastic hardware is nothing if you do not have the kind of software to go along with it, and let’s face it – the Android operating system is not exactly a hotbed for game developers to hang around and play in. Perhaps the GamePad could be a catalyst of something bigger down the road, who knows? Still, the Archos GamePad is a beauty to look at.

Just what kind of features does the Archos GamePad bring to the table? Well, it is a new kind of revolutionary tablet (or at least, it hopes to be) that will merge physical gaming button controls alongside an Archos patented mapping tool, not to mention a full Android-powered tablet experience to boot. You get physical buttons and analog thumb-sticks, as well as the unique mapping software thrown into the mix which enables you to link the virtual controls of any game to physical controls.

It will run off Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as the operating system of choice, but this does not mean it will not be on the receiving end of an operating system update sometime down the road. Not only that, you will be able to gain full access to Google Play and Google Mobile Services, and if you are interested, you can pick up the Archos GamePad for €149.99 in Europe at the moment (hello, Christmas!), while folks living in the US and Canada will have to play the patience card, missing out on a Christmas release as the Archos GamePad is tipped for a rollout in that region sometime in the first quarter of next year.

Press Release
[ Archos GamePad announced copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Archos already has its hands in the kiddie-tablet market, with its 7-inch Arnova Child Pad, and it’s taking on the productivity-minded crowd with its keyboard-toting 101 XS. Now the company is going after another niche segment with the just-announced GamePad. The 7-inch slate runs Android 4.0 with a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and a quad-core Mali 400 MP GPU, and it sports physical gaming controls in addition to the standard touchscreen. Archos includes its own “game recognition and mapping tools,” which ensure that the physical buttons are compatible with Android games that use virtual controls (some 1,000 titles are apparently compatible with the GamePad at this point). Of course, this is an internet-enabled device as well, and it will include full access to the Play market and WiFi connectivity when it goes on sale at the end of October. Other specs include 8GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot that adds up to 64GB. There’s also a mini-HDMI connection for outputting content to your TV. For now, Archos is only announcing pricing as “less than €150”, and the device will drop in the US and Europe at the same time. For now, the below-the-break press release will have to satisfy your curiosity.

Continue reading Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for ‘less than €150’

Filed under: Gaming, Tablets

Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for ‘less than €150’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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