Archos GamePad
Key specs
Critic consensus
“The Archos GamePad is a good idea that isn't implemented particularly well. It's a fairly bare-bones tablet without a lot of bells and whistles. If you're a hardcore gamer, for a little more money you could pick up a Nintendo 3DS or Sony PlayStation Vita, which are dedicated gaming devices. For casual gamers, there are plenty of Android tablets on the market that will give you a better experience, and you can always add physical gaming controls by picking up a controller for your tablet or smartphone.”
“Ultimately, your enjoyment of the GamePad depends a lot on the kinds of games you like to play. For platformers, fighting games, arcade shooters, and sports sims, it’s outstanding. For first-person shooters and racing games, it can be frustrating.But don’t forget, too, it’s also a full-featured Android tablet capable of everything from Chrome to Kindle to Netflix. The screen might not compare with some of the latest HD models from Apple and Amazon, but this is still an undeniably impressive entertainment console — especially for the price.”
“I was impressed with the ergonomics of the GamePad, enough to make me ignore the very “cheap” feeling materials it’s made out of. The device was designed for you to be hunched over with your wrists bent, hammering away at any of the awesome Android games that are out there. The shape, lightness, and most importantly the layout of the controls are almost perfect for this. I was less impressed with the screen’s low resolution and hideous viewing angle, and the overall performance of the tablet itself. Decent gaming controls, and a nicely done app to map them to their on-screen counterparts are quickly outweighed by sluggish performance, a bad screen, and dreadful battery life.”
“Given the rapid rise in the quality of Android games, the time is certainly right for a device of this kind -- something with a big screen that could be used for proper gaming as well as all the other cool stuff you usually do on a tablet. Somewhere along the line though, the Archos GamePad went from being a neat idea to a car-crash.The controls are awkward and uncomfortable, the screen is of poor quality and the battery life is so bad you can't even take it out of the house for a day before it starts gasping for air.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
The ARCHOS GamePad is a tablet specifically designed for playing games complete with two shoulder buttons, four directional pads and dual joysticks. At first glance, the size of the screen, 7”, might seem too unwieldy for comfortable gaming, however it is ergonomically designed for easy holding.
Users can also easily map out the controls thanks to the GamePad’s game-mapping tool. This tool allows users to set a physical button or slide pad to control any part of the touch screen simply by dragging a virtual button anywhere on the screen and then assigning a physical button press to it. Pressing the physical button will respond in the same way as touching that part of the screen. The tool works with every game though its value will vary for each game, unfortunately. This means that users will most likely have to map out the buttons for each game.
In terms of hardware, the GamePad comes equipped with 1.6 GHz Dual-core ARM Cortex A9, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory and an expandable microSD slot. There’s also an HDMI port for people interested in hooking the GamePad up to their television.
Despite the promise that the GamePad has, there are some serious issues with the tablet. With so much competition in the handheld gaming market, it doesn’t really stand above the crowd. The display has poor viewing angles and a relatively low resolution when compared to other tablets like the Nexus 7 and iPad. Perhaps the biggest issue with the tablet is its poor battery life. Clocking in at a little over 2 hours, it’s difficult to call the GamePad a truly portable gaming device. The final nail in GamePad’s coffin is that some of the more popular Android apps, like Grand Theft Auto, are not compatible with the tablet.
For $180, casual Android gamers can get a better gaming experience on other tablets. For a dedicated, portable gaming device, players can spend a few more dollars and purchase a Nintendo 3DS or PS Vita.
The Good: Affordable price, ergonomic control and HDMI port to hook up to a TV.
The Bad: Poor battery life (only 2 hours of gameplay), poor display resolution, poor viewing angles.
What people actually want to know
When was the Archos GamePad released?
The Archos GamePad was released on December 6, 2012.
Does the Archos GamePad have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Archos GamePad has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
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