Just got my OUYA -- mixed feelings -- could use some help/advice.

[SenVilan]

The UI still lags a lot when you're trying to download a bunch of stuff in the background. Typically, the first thing people do when they get their OUYA is download a bunch of games and apps, so people assume that is just how it is and/or get a bad first impression

As for the controller, not wanting to have a go, but that "cheaply made feel" comment seems like something you read before you bought the OUYA, and subconsciously prejudge it on. I'd like to know what constitutes a sense of a controller being "cheaply made". Is it the feel of the buttons when you press them, the weight, the shape / way it fits in your hands (does it feel smooth or can you feel the joins between the component parts), the look (being able to see the seams / joins in the material)? Or something else?

I thought about that shortly after using it, so I've tested it while not downloading anything as well. It has the same chopiness either way -- it's just not smooth like, for example, the PS3 GUI or even the Roku. I haven't had a chance to do much with it since I posted though, so I'll check and see if there's another update I still need to get. It looked like it updated itself automatically after first turning it on, but it can't hurt to check again.

As for the controller, believe me, it has nothing to do with any kind of subconscious predetermination. To be blunt, the triggers feel like something on a cheap, off-brand xbox controller. Hell, they even sound like it due to the squeaking noise they make. The joysticks feel good, as well as the D-pad (though I prefer my logitech pad), but the OUYA buttons feel like the type that might eventually deal with sticking issues. And the touch pad... don't even get me started.

Honestly, it's not that the controller is bad, I just don't feel it's worth the same price tag as say, a PS3 dualshock. The buttons on an offical PS3 gamepad are top notch, the triggers are probably the best out there, the rechargeable lithium battery is a way better option to your standard double As, it has rumble functionality, and I find the contour/shape of it more comfortable to the hand (which of course is only a personal preference.) I had actually thought of getting one specifically for my OUYA, but I figured the lack of a touch pad altogether might be a problem at certain points.

If the OUYA controller was priced somewhere along the lines of 25-30 dollars, I could see the appeal. Regardless of the price though, those triggers...

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I'm honestly starting to wonder if I got a faulty machine or something. Is it normal to have to reset the system for just about everything you change? I was checking for updates earlier and I was stuck on the "checking for updates" screen for like 30 minutes before I finally did a hard restart, only to find out I was already up-to-date. Then I attached an external drive (one that is in the compatibility list) and it wouldn't recognize it. It would flash really quick every time I went into the storage menu but it was so fast I couldn't read it. I then tried doing another hard reset and, lo and behold, it's seeing it now. Is this normal behavior or is there possibly something wrong with my unit?

Merged. Please Use The Edit Button Next Time.

Edit 2: Sorry about not editing earlier. It had probably been a few hours since the first post and I'm used to there being a time window for edits on most of the forums I use, so I didn't even think to look.

Well, I guess the system seems to be working ok now. I've been side loading the programs you guys were suggesting and I haven't had any problems yet (except for when I tried using google chrome, which I should have realized would lead to problems, heh.) I've also been messing with FilePwn but man, I'm not feeling the layout. From pictures I've seen, the ES file manager looks considerably nicer, but it's a shame about the "no more updates" thing. Speaking of which, what's the latest version that's useable for OUYA? I might check it out just for the heck of it.

Also, is it okay to install everything to the external drive, or do certain utility programs perform better when installed internally, like FilePwn for instance?

[James Andrew Coote]

Ok, fair enough. Not sure I'd describe that as "cheaply made", since that would imply poor manufacturing process, rather than the specific design issues you cited.

I must admit, I'm not a fan of the touch pad in terms of ergonomics. Trust me, there are about 2 games that use it, so you'd be fine getting a DS3 just for your OUYA. I think the PS4 controller likewise just isn't practical. I can't imagine any game actually using it as anything more than a novelty feature.

[SenVilan]

Ok, fair enough. Not sure I'd describe that as "cheaply made", since that would imply poor manufacturing process, rather than the specific design issues you cited.

I must admit, I'm not a fan of the touch pad in terms of ergonomics. Trust me, there are about 2 games that use it, so you'd be fine getting a DS3 just for your OUYA. I think the PS4 controller likewise just isn't practical. I can't imagine any game actually using it as anything more than a novelty feature.

Funny enough, the OUYA controller is starting to grow on me. The brushed aluminum was a nice touch and the pad starts to seem better once you get used to it. I'm also warming up to the overall shape and feel of it. At this point, my only real remaining gripe would be with the triggers, but I'm hoping they will feel better after I've broken them in, so to speak.

[TimeWalker]

The harddrive problem is normal because the external storage system is in Open Beta so there can be some problems of drives not getting recognized.

I don't know about the squeaky triggers. I've already had one in my hands (don't own one yet) and I can't remember any squeaking. And I really haven't heard others talking about their controllers squeaking.
Also X360 controllers had squeaky triggers too. One of my controller has a squeaky right trigger since buying it with the console. You'll get used to it. Else you could try to mod it or maybe it will disappear later on.

[TheLion]

Try a very light application of armor all on the squeaky buttons see if it helps

Also are you saying you can play playstation 1 games on the Ouya? Id like to learn more about this. I haven't heard of emulators before. Can you please share a bit of info on This? My goal would be to play jet moto 4 on the Ouya. Thanks in advance.

[SenVilan]

The harddrive problem is normal because the external storage system is in Open Beta so there can be some problems of drives not getting recognized.

I don't know about the squeaky triggers. I've already had one in my hands (don't own one yet) and I can't remember any squeaking. And I really haven't heard others talking about their controllers squeaking.
Also X360 controllers had squeaky triggers too. One of my controller has a squeaky right trigger since buying it with the console. You'll get used to it. Else you could try to mod it or maybe it will disappear later on.

Well, it's more noticeable when you press down slowly but I can still hear it occasionally when using it more vigorously as well. It's not just the noise though, it's the general feel they have when being pushed down fully -- like they don't have quite enough room to make it all the way. The feeling kind of reminds me of a trigger on an old squirt gun, but to a lesser extent. I'm hoping they loosen up and start feeling a bit better after some consistent use. And I definitely wouldn't be against modding them eventually, but I've never done anything like that so I wouldn't really know how to go about it. It's an interesting thought though.

Try a very light application of armor all on the squeaky buttons see if it helps

Also are you saying you can play playstation 1 games on the Ouya? Id like to learn more about this. I haven't heard of emulators before. Can you please share a bit of info on This? My goal would be to play jet moto 4 on the Ouya. Thanks in advance.

Yep, you can and it works quite well from what I hear. You can use FPse (which is in the actual OUYA store) or apparently you can side-load ePSXe... although I still haven't figured out how to do that considering it's on the google play store. Both of them cost a fee I think which was a bit off-putting as you can get 'em for the PC for free. There's also a free emulator called psx4droid that I've been messing around with. It seems to work okay but the picture quality is pretty bad -- at least it was for Castlevania: SotN.

[flclfanman]

Try a very light application of armor all on the squeaky buttons see if it helps

Also are you saying you can play playstation 1 games on the Ouya? Id like to learn more about this. I haven't heard of emulators before. Can you please share a bit of info on This? My goal would be to play jet moto 4 on the Ouya. Thanks in advance.

Yep, you can and it works quite well from what I hear. You can use FPse (which is in the actual OUYA store) or apparently you can side-load ePSXe... although I still haven't figured out how to do that considering it's on the google play store. Both of them cost a fee I think which was a bit off-putting as you can get 'em for the PC for free. There's also a free emulator called psx4droid that I've been messing around with. It seems to work okay but the picture quality is pretty bad -- at least it was for Castlevania: SotN.

FPse runs the smoothest for me. It costs $2.99 to unlock the abiliity to use Load/Save States but you can save your games normally as if you had a memory card for free.

Only a handful of games have ran choppily (Hot Shots Golf 2 comes to mind), but everything else I've played runs great. I'd just recommend to put all your ROMs on a USB stick and mount that to your Ouya so you can run roms without clogging up space on the Ouya.

[Phaserlight]

The criticism on the controller is valid. In my favorite game, the ship rolls on its own through no fault of the game, but due to the fact that the triggers tend to "spaz", sending feedback which only this particular game seems sensitive enough to pick up. Eventually, I just learned to treat it as part of the game as it doesn't detract from any of the core mechanics too badly.

You will learn to love the Ouya. My suggestion is to dive right in to the game library. Don't necessarily go by what is featured or trending, but take time exploring each individual category. Get a thumb drive (I purchased a 32 Gig drive for ~$15 at Staples), and download anything that looks interesting; You will wade through a lot of content that you won't particularly click with, a lot that lacks depth but may be intermediately enjoyable, and yet you will also find hidden gems including a game that has been played and adored (and continuously updated) for over a decade, a game that uses fundamental mechanics to explore time-travel paradoxes, and game by the makers of Psychonauts.

For me, at its core, the Ouya is not so much about the games themselves as the experience of playing the games. It is a truly unique experience that grows with time.

[TheLion]

I'm happy, I successfully installed jetmoto 3 and vigilante 8 on my ouya. Was very tricky but I did it. These games seemed to play with better precision on the playstation but they still work good enough on the ouya to enjoy.

Thanks for the idea.