While Snail Games has garnered popularity in China, it has had limited success when attempting to tap into the U.S market. During this year's Consumer Electronics Show, however, the company showcased its OBox and W 3D, two consoles designed to play gaming titles developed for Google's operating system, and it has gotten the attention of tech afficionados.
The OBox is a gaming console that caters to mobile gamers who have an affinity with titles that are developed for the Android platform. It is equipped with NVIDIA's Tegra K1 chipset, which is the same chip present inside the Shield Tablet.
The OBox will be available for purchase in two different processor variants, along with two different HDMI set-ups, and four hard drives with capacities ranging between 500 gigabytes to four terabytes. And since the components are swappable, mobile gamers will have the flexibility to upgrade their OBox in the near future.
Additionally, the OBox features a 5.5-inch screen display, along with the option to play 3D and 4K content. According to the company, it is also in the process of porting popular PC games to the device. As for the controllable interface of the unit, it possesses four face buttons, two joysticks, a directional pad, a touch screen and four shoulder buttons. Its display utilizes 3D technology that uses eye-tracking motion sensors as well.
Similar to a smartphone, communication using Bluetooth 4.0 and 4G LTE is also possible, with the option of video calling using cameras placed on opposite sides of the OBox's chassis.
While pricing details are not yet available, the company's representative has stated that the price of both consoles will range between $99 to $499, depending on how powerful the model is. The OBox and W 3D will be available in China during the second quarter of 2015 and will make their way to the U.S in the third quarter of this year. The company is reportedly intending to give permission to retailers to sell as many variants of the handheld gaming device as possible.
