How would it feel to be lugging around a mobile gaming device that’s about the size and weight of Nintendo’s Wii U Gamepad? Actually, would doing that help give mobile gaming some form of better street cred than the moans that it’s knock offs, card games and free-to-play microtransaction heaven?
Well, maybe this might let you figure that out.
The above is an Android-based tablet/gamepad behemoth from company GPD we ran across while scouring the Interwebz over the week.
Quick specs: It’s huge. The touchscreen alone is practically the size of an iPad Mini. For comparison, GPD’s Android device is 7 inches. Nintendo’s Wii U Gamepad is at 6.2 inches, Sony’s PlayStation Vita at 5 inches, and the iPad Mini is at 7.9 inches. It runs a 1.6Ghz quad-core Cortex A9 with 1GB of internal RAM. Internal storage is at 8GB with a microSD expansion slot also available. And it’s about US$200.
That’s not including the tacked on controller, which is about as full-featured as you’d expect from a “proper” gamepad. Two joysticks, multiple bumpers (L and R triggers 1 through 3), a D-pad and four face buttons round it out. We’ll leave aside all the other stuff such devices can do (like cook, clean, do your laundry…)
Surprisingly, the GPD tablet weighs in at just about 500g, roughly the same as a Wii U Gamepad. The Vita Slim in comparison is about half that in weight. So if you did take this with you while out, you’d be essentially carrying a Wii U Gamepad, with an Android heart.
Why are we talking about this? Well, we want to hear your thoughts on the issue. Do you think mobile gaming could be better if everyone had something like GPD’s dedicated gamepad/tablet? Is this thing a monster that should never have been born? Do you prefer having a smaller form-factor accessory to tack on and off when you choose, such as Razer’s Junglecat accessory for iPhones? Heck, would you buy and use this device? And what would you play?
