Julie Uhrman, the founder of Ouya, has revealed that the console will begin shipping later this year with a redesigned look as well that the console itself will be getting a hardware update in 2014.
The current console will begin shipping out with a newly designed controller that will address many of the issues that customers have brought to the company. The new controller will offer textured thumbsticks, more responsive triggers, and face buttons that no longer become stuck in the peripheral’s faceplate. The improved controller may be difficult to spot at retail, however, as Ouya packaging will not reflect whether the redesigned accessory is included.
Uhrman told Polygon in an interview,
“The feel of the controller today is actually probably a lot better than in June. Our goal is to build a great controller. We wanted to build something that was ergonomic, that had great weight, that had a great feel, that offered developers a different way to develop games by including a touch pad in the design.”
She also explained that Ouya 2.0 will launch next year as a part of the company’s promise to release revised hardware annually. The new console will feature backward compatibility with existing marketplace games, though hardware specs and a release date have not been announced.