In mid-2012, Yves Behar,  Jawbone Jambox and One Laptop Per Child designer, along with other investors and backers, began funding Ouya – a startup game platform for connected TVs.  The idea was to create a $99 hackable Android game console.  What’s unique about this is that it’s smaller than other game consoles since you won’t need discs to play games on the console.  Back then, it seemed pretty ambitious, but less than a year after the Kickstarter project launched, Ouya is now shipping to those who first backed the project and will be available commercially by June 4, 2013.

If you’re one of Ouya’s first investors, the gamebox you’ll be receiving is not it’s final form, physically it is but there are still some internal issues like lagging, but Ouya stated that it will be updated in time for the official launch so what investors will receive will be up to par with the one sold in the market.

So let’s dissect Ouya.

The Gamebox

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It’s small, but has some weight into it so that it won’t topple over when cables are plugged in.  It has a shiny plastic top secured by four screws, which is an open invitation for modders to do pretty much whatever they want with the gamebox, and a circular power button sitting smack in the middle.

The body of the box is silver grey in color with black accents at the bottom.  Written on one of the panels is the names of early Ouya investors, then on the back you’ll see the ports for USB, power cord, HDMI, ethernet and mini USB.  Then the bottom is designed with grills to allow heat to dissipate with the help of an internal fan.

The Ouya gamebox is equipped with an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage which can be expanded via USB.

The Controller

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It looks like a standard game controller complete with a power button, two analog joysticks that are clickable, directional pad and face buttons that has the company’s brand on it, as well two shoulder bumper buttons and analog trigger buttons at the back.  Unlike most game console controllers that you can recharge because they have built-in internal batteries, the Ouya controller uses two AA batteries which are placed on each side of the faceplate or on the silver part of the controller.

Like the box, the controller is two-toned: black and silver grey, and the silver grey parts can be popped out so you can place the batteries.  It also features LED lights that inform you which player you are.  Some of you may be wondering why there’s a huge space between the power button and the LED indicator lights, right?  It’s actually a touch pad that can be used as control cursors and CNET mentioned that some games are already using the function, one even requiring the touchpad to be continuously rubbed.

One game controller is included when you purchase an Ouya and additional controllers will set you back by $50 each.

The Game

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Don’t expect to see popular game titles on Ouya since the company wants to be known as the most friendly gaming platform, which means all game developers are welcome to make their games for Ouya.  So it’s like an indie game console.  All games on Ouya are free to try, so you can test everything before you decide if you want to purchase the game.

There are 500 games slated for Ouya, but not all of them may be launched.  When Ouya starter shipping, the number of games available was at 67.

“There’s going to be innovative, creative, exclusive content on Ouya that you won’t be able to find anywhere else, and that alone is going to be the reason to buy Ouya,” Julie Uhrman, CEO and founder of Ouya, said.