OnLive MicroConsole review

[zerocool84]

Controller flakiness aside, I have to say that I consider the OnLive MicroConsole (and its controller) to be a pretty fantastic piece of hardware. It's instant-on and relatively quick to get into games, the navigation's snappy and, as hard as it has been to believe, the picture quality from a normal viewing distance is largely superb.

So, here's the deal. When (and if) you buy the MicroConsole, you're basically paying for the controller (first-party PS3 and 360 pads run $50-60) and the included "free game" voucher (another $50). Do I feel that it's worth that nigh-hundred bucks? Yes. The real validity of the purchase -- and the platform -- actually hangs on the content and the ability of OnLive to, for lack of a better way of saying this, stay in business. The software library as it stands today could definitely be more impressive, and it can be tough to go on assurances that hundreds of games are on the way. More than that, though, there's being willing to put your faith in OnLive that you'll be able to pay it $50 for a game and still be able to play it years from now. If OnLive goes away, so does that game (and any others you've bought). It's just the nature of the business model.

Being an optimist, I'm going to consider a future where OnLive is alive and healthy, in which case I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the MicroConsole to those who don't already have an HD console, aren't keen to play the games the service offers via PC/Mac, or are PC gamers who have grown just plain tired of upgrading for each major new release. There's something kind of magic about OnLive, and now with this impressive hardware, it will hopefully start to get some recognition from the masses. And that, dear Readers, can only help stave off my "the games are gone!" doomsday scenario.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/18/onlive-microconsole-review/

 

[BlueWeasel]

Wow, that looks amazing and I don't see how any newer game like Batman AA could be lag free. Wonder how well it works on just basic DSL or cable? Most people don't have a 68Mbit connection.

The controller looks awesome, BTW.

 

[paperfist]

The future looks nice