China’s social networking juggernaut Tencent released Android-based video gaming console, the miniStation on Monday. In a similar vein to the established OUYA console, users are able to connect the miniStation to computer monitors and HD-TVs through use of a HDMI cable and play videogames. The miniStation is not supplied with any control pads or joysticks and instead gamers are able to play games using their Android smartphones wirelessly.
Equipped with a RockChip RK3288 qual-core 1.8 GHz processor, Mali T764 GPU, 2GB DDR3 RAM, and with design work for the miniStation completed by Huge Design of Los Angeles, the miniStation should be a joy to use.
China-based electronics manufacturers Lenovo and Skyworth have also introduced their own game consoles based on similar concepts. The new console from Skyworth will likely be much more powerful thanks to a quad-core Qualcomm CPU and Adreno 420 GPU which have a computing power close to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805. Both manufacturers are expected to release their consoles in the near future.
The miniStation at launch can run a lot of Android games including: NOVA3, Naruto and Asphlat, all of which fit normal gamer tastes.
Tencent has provided an SDK for developers to move their games to the miniStation easily. Gamers can pay for in-app-purchases using WeChat payments.
Based on Tencent’s influence in the game industry and its huge user base, it looks like Tencent is trying to build out a new hardware-based gaming ecosystem.
Though the miniStation has the potential to be a big hit in China, its competitor in the U.S., OUYA has since been discontinued prior to having been acquired by Razer.