Digging the idea of the NVIDIA Shield, but looking for something a bit more affordable? The Archos Gamepad 2 could be exactly what you’re looking for. The upcoming gaming tablet features a built-in physical controller, reasonably decent specs and a price tag of $200 in the United States, or € 212.36 for those in Europe.
So what exactly does that $200 net you? The Gamepad features a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, 2GB RAM, a 7-inch IPS display with a 1280 x 800 resolution, 8GB storage, microSD, HDMI, Wi-Fi and the power of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
While the Nvidia Shield is more powerful and offers PC streaming, the Archos Gamepad does have a bigger display and represents a savings of $100. Additionally, the design of the Archos Gamepad 2 likely makes it more comfortable for those times when you want to use the device as a more conventional tablet.
As for the games, the Archos Gamepad has full Google Play support and is even partnering up with Gameloft to give you two full games out of the box, Asphalt 8: Airborne and Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour.
For those interested in the GamePad 2, you’ll have your chance to pick one up by the end of the month in Europe, or sometime in the 4th quarter of this year for those in the United States.
How about it – anyone interested in picking this one up, or would you rather fork over a bit more cash to get the Nvidia Shield?
A hybrid tablet made for gamers; the GamePad 2 features a faster Quad-Core CPU, a 7″ IPS HD screen and the proprietary ARCHOS Game Mapping Tool
London, October 9th, 2013 – ARCHOS, a pioneer in Android™ devices, is proud to announce its second generation tablet made for Gamers – the ARCHOS GamePad 2 available in Europe at the end of October at £179.99.
“Following the success of the GamePad 1, we knew that we could take the gaming-tablet concept further. With our GamePad 2 we have included an HD screen, better controls, a larger battery and a faster processor,” said Loic Poirier ARCHOS CEO, “We’re excited to be working with a leading games company like Gameloft to pre-install two visually stunning titles for an amazing gaming experience.”
The ARCHOS GamePad 2 includes complete versions of Asphalt 8: Airborne and Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour by Gameloft both revisited for physical controls. “With a tablet that’s as innovative as the ARCHOS GamePad 2, it was an easy decision to optimise our games for the platform,” said Cyril Guilleminot, Gameloft Director for France & Benelux. “Users will be able to take part in a brand new gaming experience with its integrated physical control system.”
Made for Gaming
HD IPS Screen
The ARCHOS GamePad 2 features a 7 inch HD screen perfect for gaming. The widescreen 1280 x 800 pixel resolution gives an amazing gaming and multimedia experience and IPS technology ensures amazing colours and brightness as well as perfect viewing angles
Powerful Processor, Larger Battery
Powered by an A9 generation quad-core processor running at 1.6GHz coupled with a fast Quad-Core graphics processor and 2GB of system RAM, the ARCHOS GamePad 2 has more than enough power to play the latest 3D games smoothly.
Thanks to super energy-efficient 28 nanometer processor technology and a much larger battery than normally used on a 7 inch tablet, the ARCHOS GamePad 2 has vastly improved battery life whether in gaming or simply when browsing the web.
Improved Thumb-Sticks, Buttons and Mapping Tool
The ARCHOS GamePad 2 features more precise, incurved dual thumb-sticks, double buttons on each shoulder, a single part directional pad and a vastly improved button click-feeling for a better physical gaming experience.
Combined with the updated version of the critically praised Game Mapping Tool, first featured on the GamePad 1, that lets users map any touch-screen button game to work with the physical controls, the ARCHOS GamePad 2 offers an improved android gaming experience for hundreds of thousands of free and paid games.
The ARCHOS GameZone – find the best games
To find great games faster, ARCHOS created the GamePad Game Zone application; curating over 1 million apps and games in the Google Play™ Store, the Game Zone shows off the best ARCHOS GamePad 2 compatible games.
With downloads, purchases, ratings, comments and game updates all taking place through the Google Play™ Store, users can get the best from the huge games catalogue available for the ARCHOS GamePad 2.
Storage for Games
The ARCHOS GamePad 2 is available in two storage sizes – 8GB and 16GB. Both versions include a microSD slot (64GB compatible) with app2sd support for extra storage.
Still a powerful Android Tablet
Though the ARCHOS GamePad 2 was designed with gaming in mind, it’s still a fully functional Android tablet able to do everything that you expect from a tablet… and more, thanks to ARCHOS media applications. Additional key features and specs include:
· Android 4.2™ ‘Jelly Bean’
· Google Certified with full access to the Google Play store and its 1 million apps and games, GamePad Game Zone app also included to find the best games
· Amazing Tablet Features: WiFi Display, HDMI, front stereo speakers, Front camera for video calling and an improved multi-media thanks to Archos Media Center applications
The ARCHOS GamePad 2 will be available at the end of October at €179.99 on www.ARCHOS.com.
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