Ouya Dev Kits Shipping This Month

Ouya announced that development kits for the game console will ship out on Dec. 28 to Kickstarter supporters who qualify.

The community funded, Android-powered console will narrowly meet its promise to ship dev kits in December, which is a good sign that everything is on schedule for the console.

According the official Ouya site, the dev consoles are an early version of the console and controller designed specifically to let developers test their games. Developers who pledged support for the Ouya via Kickstarter will be the first to get them.

The console encourages hacking and development so the company says every Ouya system can be considered a dev kit. However, the advanced development consoles that will be shipped this month are “rare drops.” The company did not explain exactly what that means but said that developers will understand once they receive their Ouya.

For those not getting their hands on an advanced Ouya, there are other options. The SDK for the console, or ODK as it is referred to by Ouya, is currently being tested and will be made available when the dev consoles ship. The ODK will be available publicly via an online portal for no charge.

However, an Ouya dev kit is necessary for those who want to see the current form of the custom Jelly Bean GUI. Ouya has been mum about the UI but announced there is a dedicated team working on features including optimizing its search and discovery.

There is also an opportunity to win an Ouya dev kit through a contest hosted by the company. Starting Dec. 10, the company will be giving away one dev console each day for 10 days. Developers are encouraged to enter by tweeting their game idea along with the hashtag #myouyagame. Ouya will choose a winner based on various factors, including the ability to actually make the game.