Razer pulls the plug on short-lived Forge TV, OUYA Android hardware next month

Ben Schoon | May 22 2019 - 10:38 am PT

Before devices like the Nvidia Shield made their debut, non-console gaming on the TV was a bit of a mess. Razer made an attempt with its Forge TV and the acquisition of OUYA, but now those devices are officially being shut down.

Noted on a support page on Razer’s website and through messaging being sent out to developers, Razer is officially saying goodbye to these two projects. From June 25th onward, the game stores on OUYA and Forge TV hardware will be shut down for good.

The Razer Forge TV itself was an Android TV box that was on the market for just a matter of months due to poor reception from critics and consumers alike. Notably, it was one of the first consumer Android TV devices. The Android TV portion of this set-top box will continue to work for users who bought the device, but the game store behind it will be shuttered.

OUYA, meanwhile, came from a wildly successful crowdfunding campaign. The Android console and the company behind it were later acquired by Razer in 2015 when the hardware itself was discontinued. It’s not at all surprising that Razer is pulling the plug here, but much more so that it took so long.

Razer says that accounts will be deactivated on June 25th and funds in the Forge TV / OUYA / MadCatz MOJO services “may be turned over to the applicable authority.” The company encourages users to spend those dollars before the service is killed off.

Razer Forge TV (left) and OUYA (right)

As for games that have been purchased, Razer says that OUYA games may still function after June 25th, but it depends on if that game requires purchase validation at launch. The company also suggests checking with developers if a game purchased on OUYA or Forge TV can be activated on another platform such as Google Play.

The Forge TV, OUYA, and MadCatz MOJO game stores are no longer being supported, and therefore will be shut down… Your account will be deactivated on June 25, 2019. After this date, you will no longer be able to access your account, games on the server, previously purchased titles, or be able to purchase new ones. You will continue to have access to games that have been downloaded. Users should download games before June 25, 2019 to avoid losing access after the shutdown.