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Ouya has reportedly been acquired by Razer

Ouya has reportedly been acquired by Razer

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Ouya, the company behind the $99 Android console that began as a Kickstarter sensation three years ago, has reportedly been acquired by Razer. Neither company has issued a press release confirming the agreement, but investment bank Mesa Global signaled it was a done deal before removing news of the acquisition from its website. Mesa claims it acted as "exclusive financial advisor to Ouya, Inc. in its sale to Razer," so if that's true, the company would obviously be in the know on the specifics around Razer's buyout of Ouya. The Verge has reached out to Razer for direct confirmation.

Ouya Razer,

Despite raising over $8 million on Kickstarter, Ouya largely fizzled with mainstream consumers when it expanded to widespread retail availability. The hackable Android mini-console has faced numerous setbacks since launch — some of them self-inflicted — and its struggles to carve out a market suggest that many people still prefer traditional (and far more expensive) gaming hardware from established players like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.

In April, Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman sent a letter to investors making it clear that the company was in urgent search of a buyer, and last week TechCrunch reported that a deal with Razer was in the works. It's a curious purchase for Razer; the gaming-focused company already has a tiny set-top box that runs Android TV. But clearly the company saw something it wanted in Ouya, and considering the circumstances, it's likely that Razer came away with a favorable deal.