Razer Buys Android-Based Game Console Maker Ouya

Ouya, a Kickstarter darling that made an inexpensive Android-based gaming system, has been acquired by Razer, the companies announced Monday.

Razer purchased Ouya's software assets, including its content catalog and online retail platform. As part of the deal, Ouya's technical team and developer relations personnel will be joining Razer.

Financial terms of the deal, which closed on June 12, were not disclosed. The acquisition does not include Ouya's hardware business.

While Ouya has been clinging to life for some time now, the fate of the original vision for the Android-powered, living-room gaming hardware seemed to be sealed in March when company executives said that the Ouya would no longer focus on hardware. At the time, the company said it would concentrate on building out its software platform that could run on devices made by others — set-top boxes, televisions, and other Android-based gaming consoles.

"Razer is the perfect home for Ouya and the team that made it all happen," Ouya co-founder and CEO Julie Uhrman said in a statement. "They can take the Ouya platform to new places, inspiring developers and embracing gamers, everywhere."

Razer said it will in the near future provide existing Ouya users with a "clear path of migration" to its Forge TV microconsole and Serval controller bundle. The company plans to let Ouya users bring their games, controllers, and accounts to the Cortext TV platform on the Forge, and offer them "deeper product discounts" to purchase Razer hardware.

"Razer has a long-term vision for Android TV and Android-based TV consoles, such as the Xiaomi Mi Box and Alibaba Tmall Box, to which Ouya already publishes," Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan said in a statement. "Ouya's work with game developers, both triple A and indies, went a long way in bringing Android games to the living room and Razer intends to further that work. This acquisition is envisaged to usher more developers and content to the Android TV platform."

For a walk down memory lane, check out our 2013 review of Ouya.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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