Apparently, 7″ is the perfect screen size for portable gaming, and obviously Archos got the message. On the specs alone, the GamePad sounds like a winner – Android 4.0, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and the same GPU found in the Galaxy S III. On top of that, Archos have decided to add physical game control buttons to the side of the screen, and have written software that maps on-screen controls to the physical controls to build onto the existing support for game controllers in Android 4.0. Importantly, the tablet will include access to the Play Store, so no dodgy hackery will be required to gain access to the 1000 titles that are apparently already compatible with the device.
The GamePad packs 8GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot allowing an extra 64GB to be added. What is awesome though, is that it also has a mini-HDMI port, allowing you to output content to the television. Who needs a Wii U now?
No Australian availability has been announced as yet, but the tablet is intended to be released in the US and Europe contemporaneously, with the price set to be less than €150.
This sounds awesome! Pending price, it may be a viable option for the kid to have instead of some other portable console.