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Green Throttle tries to turn Kindle Fire HD into a console, launches $39.95 Atlas game controller

Green Throttle tries to turn Kindle Fire HD into a console, launches $39.95 Atlas game controller

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green throttle games controller
green throttle games controller

There are more than a few Android gaming controllers on the market, but we're yet to find a great one. Green Throttle Games wants to make that happen — today it's launching the $39.95 Atlas gaming controller for the Kindle Fire HD, in an attempt to turn Amazon's newest tablet into a gaming console. Plug in an HDMI cable and fire up a companion app, and you'll be able to browse, buy, and play Android games with a couch-friendly interface. You can play with up to four of the Bluetooth controllers on a single tablet, but it's not yet clear what games you'll be playing — Atlas interfaces with games using its own protocol, meaning that titles have to be designed specifically for the controller.

VentureBeat has a video of how Atlas works with its gaming hub:

It's unclear how a modestly specced tablet will deliver as a makeshift gaming console, but Green Throttle's Atlas actually makes an interesting competitor to Ouya's $99 Android game system: where the Ouya makes you buy a new console every year to keep up with the latest tech, Green Throttle Games gives you a similar controller and TV interface, but you'll theoretically be able to use whatever HDMI-compatible tablet or phone is handy. For now, though, the Atlas seems to have more weaknesses than strengths. The Ouya already has some notable developer support, and the console itself costs less than the the Kindle Fire HD, the only tablet Green Throttle currently supports.