Back in May, it was revealed that Google had hired legendary game designer Noah Falstein to head up what looked like a gaming division at the company. At the time, many thought Google was just getting into game development, but it looks like the company has much higher aspirations.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is working on its own Android-powered game console. It’s not known if Falstein is involved with the development of the hardware, but it’s a good bet that he is. He’s also probably helping Google make some games to launch with the hardware.
The Android-powered game console is nothing new. Devices like the Ouya and GameStick are attempting to change the definition of the games console into something that’s cheap and approachable for developers and gamers alike. A Google games console probably wouldn’t change that, but it could possibly feature better hardware and better discoverability via Google Play.
Aside from the games console, Google is reportedly still working on that rumored smartwatch. Sony is taking another stab at the smartwatch this year, and other competitors, including Apple, are rumored to be working on their own as well. It remains to be seen if Google is waiting for Apple and other competitors to reveal their hands, or if it will just release a smartwatch to see what happens.
Finally, the ill-fated Nexus Q is also reportedly getting a second chance. The media streaming device was revealed at last year’s Google I/O, but was met with a nearly universal “meh.” The response in turn led to Google never actually releasing it except to those who pre-ordered the device. There have already been rumors of a successor found in FCC filings, but we haven’t heard anything official from Google as of yet. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Google create a new Nexus Q that’s more like a Google TV device.
So, when can we expect to see these devices? It’s reported that Google is hard at work on all three devices, but may only release one of them this fall. My personal bet is on the Nexus Q successor. A Google TV Nexus device would probably do better this holiday season than a game console, especially in light of the impending launch of the Xbox One and PS4.