Ouya Bringing its Games and New Set-top Boxes to China

The Android-running Ouya platform is heading overseas to help cash-in on the expanding market of Chinese video gaming, but in a slightly different set-top box.

Reuters reports that Cali-based Ouya Inc. is partnering up with Xiaomi Inc. to start bringing Ouya's game services and new set-top boxes and Smart TVs over to Chinese living rooms. While Ouya Inc. has its self-titled microconsole/set-top box that provides Android-based gaming and streaming services. This partnership will allow Xiaomi Inc., a popular smartphone maker based in China, to make Ouya-approved streaming boxes and Smart TVs that will run its UI and designs. For those who have never heard of Xiaomi, it has topped Apple Inc. and Samsung as the premier smartphone maker throughout all of China. It has recently joined into the TV and set-top box business with its MiTV and MiBox units, expanding itself beyond mobile devices.

Julie Uhrman, Ouya's CEO, mentioned that the deal is not yet finalized and that details are still being agreed upon, but Ouya will be getting its own channel on Xiaomi's software on these new devices, which will let players buy and play the numerous indie games Ouya has available on its library. Ouya games are meant to be played on TV screens with controllers, which will likely be a packaged-in peripheral for these new products.

"For the likes of Xiaomi’s MiTV, its set-top boxes and other Android set-top boxes that are entering the market, this could be a turning point..in bringing great content and developers to gamers and into a region that they have never had access to before," Uhrman said.

"The whole industry is still in a very early development stage," Uhrman said. "There is an opportunity for both [Xiaomi and Ouya]."