when Ouya was announced, it practically kickstarts a console game revolution that probably startled giants like Sony and Microsoft a little and also sees gaming peripheral makers Mad Catz and the likes jumping on the bandwagon. the latest company to join in the fun is Chinese handset maker ZTE with its very own and first gaming console, the FunBox (didn’t we say join in the ‘Fun’?). developed with China’s leading video game developer The9, this uber affordable device is powered by NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor, clocking in at 1.8GHz and has 2GB of RAM to back up the clockwork. the colorful console also packs 8GB of flash storage, 72-core GeForce graphics processor, Bluetooth technology and built-in dual-band and dual-antenna WiFi.
the device comes standard with a Bluetooth controller and is also capable of video chatting. the latter scores ZTE as the first home entertainment console to feature video calling feature. though it is unknown whether the console have built-in camera or an external peripheral is required for the video calls. as the name suggests, the FunBox is not solely for gaming; ZTE wants it to be the center of home entertainment which means it could potentially execute streaming of HD videos and music too. for now, the ZTE FunBox Home Entertainment Console is limited to China market and will be available starting next month from JD.com for 698 Chinese Yuan (roughly US$112). a little pricer then pioneering Ouya, but then again, it is not quite in the same league. remember? it is a home entertainment console.
