Ouya gets external storage, UI enhancements

The little gaming console that could. Ouya, the Android-based Kickstarter darling, is on the market, and getting less attention than it did when everything was shiny and new. But the console continues to innovate and bring new games and features to the platform, in an effort to carve its own niche in a Sony/Microsoft-dominated world.

Now the console-maker has pushed a new update, which is perhaps the biggest since the little device debuted. The number one feature included here is external storage, in case you're running out of space for your games. Customers can now plug in an external drive, and the console will work with FAT32, NTFS, and ext4. A word of warning, though, don't take your drive to your friend's house, as the games won't work on another Ouya.

The new user interface refresh is what the company calls "more intuitive, visually appealing, and better able to feature your games. It’s even got built-in functionality to allow us to update featured games and the wallpaper on the fly". It claims easier browsing and new tiles.

In addition, Ouya promises "support for faster system updates. We've enabled 'Incremental Updates', which means updates (after this one) will be much quicker. NOTE: If you've modified your system files, you'll continue to get the full updates".

Finally, the company has altered the functionality of the double-tap feature. Twice clicking the Ouya button now displays the system menu, which lets you eject USB storage, exit a game, turn off controllers and more.

The company promises more enhancements will be coming. While the console may never reach the mainstream success of an Xbox or PlayStation, Ouya has proven itself as a much more affordable alternative.