Ouya CEO says upcoming Android console will be ‘best Tegra 3 device on the market’

We’re getting ever-closer to the launch of Ouya, the $99, Kickstarter-backed, Android-powered gaming console, and the company’s CEO Julie Uhrman has been making the rounds to give eager buyers more info on what they’ll get when the console launches this summer. While we already knew Ouya was powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 3 processor and that it would run faster stronger than other devices (since the console plugs into the wall and isn’t reliant on a battery, unlike most Tegra 3 devices), it sounds like Nvidia is working directly with Ouya to optimize performance. “The partner that we’ve worked the most with, that is incredibly supportive of developers, NVIDIA, they have multiple people on their team dedicated to our account,” Uhrman told Engadget in a recent interview.

Thanks to that strong support, Uhrman said the Ouya would be the “best Tegra 3 device on the market” — not surprising, considering the device won’t have to manage power usage as aggressively as other devices running the chip. Nvidia also had a few things to say to Engadget about the partnership — senior VP Tony Tamasi said that the Ouya team has “been amazing to work with.” He also confirmed that Nvidia has a dedicated team working with Ouya to optimize the console’s performance. While it surely won’t be as powerful as most home consoles, it sounds like Ouya is doing all it can to squeeze as much power out of the $99 box.