Archos Brings Android Games Console GamePad
Consumer electronics company Archos has announced the retail availability of the GamePad, a new type of tablet that combines physical gaming button controls and an Archos patented mapping tool with Android-powered tablet experience.
Bringing physical buttons and analog thumb-sticks to mobile gaming, the Archos GamePad blends power with the mapping software that allows you to link the virtual controls of any game to physical controls.
A thin and light Android 4.1 Jelly Bean device, the GamePad also features full access to Google Play and Google Mobile Services and is now available in Europe for 149.99€ with a North American release scheduled for early Q1 2013.
“Android device users spend more than 9 hours a month gaming on their devices and yet are not completely satisfied with the touch-screen experience,” says Henri Crohas, founder and CEO of Archos.
“We feel this area of gaming is proven and will continue to grow. With the introduction of the GamePad we are uniquely positioned to feed the demand of gamers who want a better gaming experience on a tablet.”
By combining the GamePad’s 14 physical buttons and dual analog thumb-sticks with the Archos game mapping tool, the GamePad brings the physical aspect back to the gaming experience, says the company.
Adding to the experience is the 16-million-color, seven-inch, five-point capacitive, 1024 x 600 pixel screen. At only 10 mm (0.3 inch) thin and with a weight of 330g (0.7 lbs), the Archos GamePad is the perfect on-the-go gaming console, according to Archos.
