OnLive bringing Universal Controller support to Nexus 7
updated 08:17 am EDT, Tue July 17, 2012
Nexus 7 in line for OnLive Universal Controller support
OnLive is reportedly working to bring support for its $50 Universal Controller to the Google Nexus 7 tablet. The controller already works with a range of Android tablets include the Iconia Tab A500, the Motorola Xoom and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer as well as numerous Android smartphones. It also works with Macs and PCs, but offers gamers with tablets a much better way of playing first-player shooters among other genres on their touch screen devices.
OnLive's customer support told the team at Gottabemobile that "We don't have support out for [the Nexus 7] yet, but we hope to shortly."
The Nexus 7 is powered by the Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor. Although its graphics capabilities are outgunned by the quad graphics in the new iPad and the Samsung Exynos 4412 quad-core processor in the International version of the Galaxy S III, a number of high-performance tablet games have been specially optimized for its chipset. Among the Tegra 3 optimized games Shadowgun and Dead Trigger. Although boasting near console level graphics, playing them on the Nexus 7, or any tablet touchscreen, can be imprecise and frustrating limiting the appeal of the games despite their graphical prowess.
The OnLive streaming game service offers full PC game titles that are streamed over an Internet connection, with all the game processing taking place on the OnLive servers. Using the OnLive controller, Nexus 7 gamers will be able to experience a relatively frustration-free hardcore gaming experience as long as they have a solid Internet connection and the OnLive Universal Controller in hand.
It emerged in June that Microsoft had considered acquiring the burgeoning cloud-based gaming service. Microsoft perceived OnLive's model as a threat to its forthcoming XBox 720 as its cloud-based processing could render high-end gaming hardware obsolete. However, while the cloud-based gaming platform is potentially disruptive, its reliance on high-bandwidth and potential lag issues mean that it could still be some time before it becomes more widely adopted.
