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The ARCHOS GamePad was just released last March, but the manufacturer is now ready to bring us its second iteration of the gaming tablet. Leaked about 2 weeks ago, it is simply called the ARCHOS GamePad 2. The new device is ready for prime time and will be arriving customers hands shortly. Does it have what it takes to take on the gaming market?
ARCHOS GamePad 2 specifications
- Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
- 7-inch 1280x800p IPS display
- 1.6 GHz quad-core A9 processor
- 2 GB of RAM 8/16 GB of internal storage (microSD slot supports up to 64 GB cards)
- Front-facing camera
Right off the bat we can say this device is not in the high-end side of the spectrum. A 720p resolution is good for a 7-inch screen, but not great. The other specs are fair, but nothing surprising. The quad-core Mali 400 MP4 GPU should help its gaming capabilities, though.
Regardless, there is one good side to this moderate set of specs – the price. The ARCHOS GamePad 2 is hitting European shelves with a €179.99 price tag, by the end of October. ARCHOS has been more quiet about the exact release date in the US, but we know it will be released sometime during Q4 for the nifty price of $200.
That is not a bad price for a cool gaming tablet like this, but I simply don’t see this gaming pad becoming overly-popular. Much like its predecessor, it will find a good home among some gaming enthusiasts, but it could struggle even within that niche market. We have the NVIDIA Shield, for example, which easily beats the GamePad (read our NVIDIA Shield review).
What do you think? would you go for this $200 gaming tablet?
[ARCHOS]
Just in time for X’mas season… who is buying for their kids!?
Can I buy this for myself and FINALLY finish playing N.O.V.A 3? LoL!!
I love my nvidia shield for emulators and a few games. If I didn’t own one I’d be interested in this. If you know how emulators work and where to get them, its a good deal.
Underpowered compared to the competition and those little nub joysticks do not look very fun to use.. Plus why is the screen so bad? Just get a Nexus 7 2013..
Nexus 7 2013 + PS3 Controller + Slimport HDMI = Happiness
Exactly, or I use my Moga pro but same concept.
But can you do this on the go? I move around too much. This seems like a nice alternative.
If this has some type of HDMI out, then I’d get this instead of upgrading my Nexus 7 1st Gen to the 2nd Gen.
well… but nexus7 is far more expensive, not even counting the controller
Gamepad 1 would be fine, were it not for the poor battery and some horrible software-quirks.
I would buy the second one without hesitation if these (battery, not sleeping correctly, messed up mountpoints) would be fixed.
AND: opposed to nexus+gamepad it’s usable on the go AND using TV as screen-output.
I can even connect HDMI and USB-Controller at the same time. ;-)
$200 is a nice price point at least.