GameStick

GameStick

Also known as	Game Stick
Developer	PlayJam
Product family	First Generation
Type	Microconsole
Release date	November 15, 2013 (2013-11-15)
Introductory price	US$79 (equivalent to $103.33 in 2023)
Operating system	Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
System on a chip	Amlogic 8726-MX
CPU	ARM Cortex A9
Memory	1 GB DDR3
Storage	8 GB internal flash memory
Display	HDMI 1080p, 720p
Graphics	Mali-400 MP
Input	Bluetooth
Controller input	Wireless controller
Connectivity	HDMI Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth LE 4.0
Dimensions	Size of a flash drive
Successor	PlayJam OTT
Website	www.gamestick.tv

The GameStick is a discontinued home video game console developed by PlayJam. It is a microconsole the size of a USB flash drive that plugs directly into the back of a TV through an HDMI port and ships with its own Bluetooth controller. Users can download content from a curated storefront via Wi-Fi, with content stored locally for offline access. The device is powered by the PlayJam Games Platform and runs its own version of the Android operating system. It is portable and aimed at casual to mid-core gamers. Like the Ouya, it was funded through Kickstarter.

Because of a change in production methods, the original release date of June 2013 was delayed,^[1][2] and units did not ship to retailers until early November 2013.^[3] The GameStick features an exclusive game and access to its app store, which mainly sells casual games. All systems can be used as development kits, allowing any GameStick owner to also be a developer, without licensing fees. The GameStick is part of the eighth generation of video game consoles.

Jasper Smith (chief executive officer of PlayJam) and the PlayJam development team began recruiting support early in the process. Before the project's launch, GameStick, based out of San Francisco, California, was said to have support from more than 1,000 developers.^[4] Game designers interested in the project could pledge $500 in exchange for a prototype unit and development kit one month before launch. As of February 2013, the game was successfully funded with over 5,600 backers and about $650,000 raised.^[5]