Plug it into your HDTV
Aside from using the OnLive service purely through your PC, you can also purchase the Game System which allows you to play it on any TV, with the option to use it via iPad/iPad 2, smartphones and Internet-connected media players coming shortly. This is where the gaming system really stands out from other streaming services. The OnLive Game System consists of: a micro-console, a wireless controller, a rechargeable battery pack, two AA batteries for the pad, a USB cable to charge up the pad and synch it to the console, an Ethernet cable and an HDMI cable. The console is a glossy black colour, small, lightweight and portable, measuring 2in x 5in and weighing approximately 225g.The gamepad is solidly built and ergonomically designed for maximum comfort. We love the Xbox 360 official controller and the official OnLive pad is designed very much in that style, with the only major difference being the media buttons across the bottom-centre which allow you to pause, stop, fast-forward and rewind. OnLive also supports a wide range of controllers and has worked well with our Razer Onza; though it's worth noting that using our keyboard and mouse has provided a slightly quicker input connection than any pad we’ve tried.
On the front of the console are two USB 2.0 ports which can be used for game controllers, and in the centre sits the power button. The back of the micro-console houses an HDMI port, Ethernet port, and optical audio-out, while inside the console you'll find a dual-core Marvell Armada1000 processor, Marvell networking chips and 512MB of RAM (thanks, Engadget).OnLive’s CEO, Steve Perlmann describes the consoles innards as “high-quality, very low-power, yet extremely flexible to accommodate OnLive's highly-advanced proprietary technology” and you can't argue that it does the job it sets out to do particularly well. It's also worth noting that the console has been built for HD gaming, though non-HDMI-compliant TVs are supported if you separately buy a component video adapter for analog video.
