We knew the month, and now we know the day: The much-hyped, Android-based Ouya gaming console will be available at retailers on June 4 for $99.99.
The crowdsourced success story raised millions on Kickstarter in July 2012, and since then has attracted much attention as a potential dark horse in the console wars.
Of course, no one is going to be playing the latest AAA title on the modestly spec'ed Ouya, but indie, retro and casual games likely will populate it by the thousand. It will ship with a number of original games, as well as working emulators for several old consoles. And all games are free to try — one of the console's big selling points.
The $99.99 gets you the console itself and a wireless controller, but if you want to play with a friend you'll have to shell out another $49.99 for an extra controller — at least until the inevitable cheap alternatives come out.
You'll be able to pick it up at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target or at Ouya's own site. In the meantime, the console's Kickstarter backers should be getting their unit over the next week or so, and pre-orders will ship after that.
Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.
