Amazon are developing an Android based games console, reports suggest, with a release date mere months away.
Unnamed sources have told Game Informer that the console will launch by the end of 2013, probably in time for Black Friday. It is unclear whether the console will launch in Europe and the U.S. simultaneously.
The console will come with its “own, dedicated controller,” according to the report.
With this move, Amazon will join Ouya, Nvidia’s Shield and GameStick in the Android console market. Ouya was Kickstarted last year and generated over $8 million of funding.
Since its retail release in June, the console has struggled, with “lukewarm” reviews and low software sales.
Amazon clearly has more capital and market influence than Ouya, not to mention a well-established user base of millions of consumers.
It remains to be seen whether there is actually significant demand for Android based consoles or “microconsoles,” but we bet that if there’s a market out there, Amazon are almost certain to find it.
The timing of Amazon’s console launch will be at a similar time to the launches of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. While Android consoles clearly offer a very different experience to the more traditional gaming consoles, they may well find their place as a cheaper alternative for those who do not wish to spend several hundred dollars on a console.
Would you be interested in an Amazon console?
We will update this article with further details, should Amazon respond to this report.
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