The Archos GamePad is a

video gaming Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syst ...

tablet developed and marketed by

Archos Archos (, stylized as ARCHOS) is a French Multinational corporation, multinational consumer electronics, electronics company that was established in 1988 by Henri Crohas. Archos manufactures tablet computers, tablets, smartphones, portable media ...

. It runs on the Android

operating system An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common daemon (computing), services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems scheduler (computing), schedule tasks for ...

. It was announced on August 29, 2012, and was first released on 6 December 2012 in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, with a US release projected for February 2013. The tablet is aimed at gaming, and features dedicated dual

analog stick An analog stick (analogue stick in British English), also known as a control stick, thumbstick or joystick, is an input method designed for video games that translates thumb movement into directional control. It consists of a protruding stick mo ...

s along with regular gaming keys and shoulder buttons - a similar design as the

PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, then in other international territories on February 22, 2012, and was produced ...

. Archos have designed a technology which 'converts' the touch controls (of Android games) into physical controls from the buttons. It is able to get over a thousand games from the

Google Play Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store, Play Store, or sometimes the Android Store (and was formerly Android Market), is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certifie ...

library. Archos GamePad features a 7-inch screen, 8GB of internal storage, 16 physical buttons, a 0.3 MP front camera, and

stereo Stereophonic sound, commonly shortened to stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configurat ...

speakers. It is 10mm thick and weights 300 grams. Archos have developed a special mapping software for developers to officially make their game(s) compatible with the GamePad's physical buttons.

Release

Archos retailed GamePad in the UK for £130, although Archos originally had said that the tablet will sell for "under £130" The GamePad has a 7" screen.

Reception

The Archos GamePad received largely negative reviews. Poor battery life, low screen quality and uncomfortable controls were among the most frequently mentioned complaints.

Gamepad 2

In August 2013, it was revealed that Archos is working on a successor, called Archos GamePad 2.

References

External links

Official Website
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303231719/http://www.archos.com/products/themed/gamepad , date=2014-03-03 Android (operating system) devices Tablet computers introduced in 2012

Release

Reception

Gamepad 2

See also

References

External links