How is the 199 yuan game experience? TIMEBOX Android TV game console user experience

Do you still remember the TIMEBOX video game console that I first unboxed and experienced some time ago? This product, which is currently priced at only 199 yuan, gave people a good feeling during the unboxing process and the design of the product itself, but some people also think that the external things are just illusions, and perhaps its internal software design is just a half-finished product.

Now, let’s experience it in action and see how well this 199 yuan game console can let us play.

Hardware Configuration

The TIMEBOX TV game console is developed by Shanghai Tengmu Company. It uses a 1.6GHz quad-core Cortex-A9 CPU and a Mali-450 octa-core GPU. The memory combination is 1GB RAM + 8GB ROM. Although the parameters are not as good as the current mainstream flagship smartphones, for a TV box-like product, such performance should be sufficient.

Regarding the display screen specially added to the TIMEBOX TV game console, we found during use that it does not support touch operation and its function is only to display time and weather information. We can assume that this design is to cater to the "TIME" in the device name.

The controller that comes standard with the game console uses wireless Bluetooth connection. You can long press the HOME button on the controller to pair with the console, which is convenient to use. However, the game console itself does not have an independent Bluetooth switch and options. Therefore, even if the TIMEBOX TV game console has eight controller connection positions in the system, users still cannot use other third-party Bluetooth controllers.

The battery life of the built-in battery in the controller is acceptable. At least in this stage of our experience, it can basically last for two days of use on a single charge. The controller uses the MicroUSB port to charge, and there is no threshold to use it, but as we mentioned when unboxing, the feel of this controller is average.

Interface Design

After turning on the computer and entering the system, the interface of the TIMEBOX TV game console is similar to current smart TV products. The horizontal layout and the design of large "tile"-style icons are clearer in visual perception.

In the settings interface, users can make simple options such as network connection and resolution output setting. It is worth mentioning that the input method of TIMEBOX TV game console is quite user-friendly. Since the product can only be operated with a handle, the input method makes full use of all the buttons on the handle. Switching between numbers and uppercase and lowercase can be done with the L\R keys on the handle, reducing the movement operations using the direction keys. From a certain level, the product still has some thoughts on system optimization.

TIMEBOX is positioned as a gaming device, and its content arrangement is also completely "gamified". It is different from the TV game consoles derived from TV boxes that take into account both games and online videos, and it is also unlike some game console products that still reserve space for the video section in terms of content. TIMEBOX TV game console can only provide you with games.

For users who don’t know what to play, they can refer to “Game Recommendations” and “Rankings”, while for users who know what to play, they can browse by category through the game collection.

According to rough statistics, the number of games in each sub-forum is between 20 and 50, which is quite rich. Of course, game consoles based on the Android system can only provide games on the Android platform. As for whether you are willing to experience mobile games on TV again? Everyone has different opinions.

For a 199-yuan device, the TIMEBOX TV game console has a smooth system and its interface design is not sloppy like the native Android or tablet interfaces. The customized system is on the same level as other more expensive products. Unfortunately, it is a bit regrettable that the system freezes or becomes unresponsive after being turned on for a long time, and the stability of the device needs to be improved.

Game Experience

The first thing I need to complain about is that the 8GB internal storage capacity of the TIMEBOX TV game console is really not enough. During the test, we installed less than ten games of various sizes, and there was not much internal space left. For most users, installing an additional TF expansion card is a must. In addition, the machine's built-in standard USB interface has not yet opened the function of reading external storage devices, so it is temporarily impossible to install APK files by yourself.

There is actually not much to say about the game content of the TIMEBOX TV game console. After all, we are already familiar with most of the supported games on Android mobile devices. Fortunately, with the existing hardware level of the device, even "Asphalt 8", which tests the performance of the device, can run smoothly with high picture quality. The overall performance is satisfactory.

Operation is the most important part of the gaming experience. Whether the TIMEBOX TV game console is easy to use with the handle is probably the issue that users are most concerned about.

There are two aspects. First, for large-scale games on the Android platform, whether it is "Despicable Me 2: Minion Rush" or "Sonic" promoted by the TIMEBOX TV game console, since the games selected on the TIMEBOX platform have been optimized for handle operation, there is no problem at all to play them, and there are rarely any operational delays.

In addition, TIMEBOX TV game console also provides arcade and simulator games that many players are keen on, such as "Contra" and "Street Fighter". It is worth affirming that the handle supports relatively well, especially for users who have just used the mobile phone and are still unfamiliar with the operation. A HELP button is provided on the handle, which can query the key position information with one click. It is thoughtful, but the performance in use is not satisfactory. Different games basically encounter operation delays of less than one second. For gamers, this is more difficult to accept.

Summarize:

Not long ago, we used the word "surprising" to evaluate the unboxing of the TIMEBOX TV game console. After experiencing it comprehensively, I think it is not an exaggeration to summarize it with these four words.

Indeed, there are still some areas that need improvement in the product itself, but if you have experienced many Android game consoles, you will find that even if other products are much more expensive and more famous, the actual effect may not be much better than the TIMEBOX TV game console. From this point of view, the 199 yuan TIMEBOX TV game console deserves recognition.

However, we need to face the fact that game content is still a major flaw of current Android platform game consoles. You cannot convince an ordinary consumer to spend money to buy a machine to play a mobile game on TV. The ultra-low price threshold of 199 yuan has indeed caused TIMEBOX to encounter a buying spree where the machine is hard to come by. However, using low prices to attract attention is by no means a virtuous path for the development of technological products. After consumers dare to try new products, how to retain users and prevent the products from "gathering dust" in users' homes is an urgent problem that the domestic game console industry needs to solve.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.