The GCW Zero open source gaming handheld nears its Kickstarter goal

With all the hype surrounding new consoles such as Ouya and the GameStick, the GCW Zero went right under our radar. Still, it’s worth mentioning because it’s offering something that the aforementioned consoles don’t. Instead of relying on Android as the main operating system, the GCW-Zero is an open sourced Linux console. The purpose behind this console is to create homebrew games, play open source games and emulate older consoles such as the Nintendo.

Despite the lack of press, the GCW Zero is on its way to making its Kickstarter goal. Creator Justin Barwick placed a $130,000 funding goal for the console and 852 backers have contributed $117,550 so far. With one week left to go, this project has a good opportunity to be successful.

The GCW Zero will not fall off the face of the Earth should the Kickstarter fail. The reason for the Kickstarter is to get more consoles manufactured at once since the creators can only afford to create and ship a limited number at once. Should funding be met, the GCW Zero will start shipping in larger quantities in March.

Here are some of the specs of the GCW Zero:

• 3.5-inch LCD display with 320×240 resolution
• 512MB of memory
• Ingenic JZ4770 1 GHz MIPS processor
• Vivante GC860 GPU
• 16GB of internal storage
• Wi-Fi
• 2800 mAh battery
• mini HDMI out
• mini USB port

Source [Kickstarter]