iGUGU Gamecore features an innovative compact wireless controller that incorporates a trackball, direction pad, joystick, programmable action buttons, and a full QWERTY keyboard that enables users to play virtually any PC- or Internet-based video game without the need to use the traditional computer keyboard and mouse. Equipped with six accelerometers, the wireless controller enables users to intuitively play the game using natural motions to do activities such as steer a race car or fly an aircraft.

Available with two options to connect the PC to the television, iGUGU Gamecore eliminates the need to play PC games at a desk using a small computer screen, keyboard and mouse, enabling computer gamers to experience their games as they have become accustomed to with other industry game console - on a couch, through a large screen television.

Unlike traditional game consoles that can only play titles that were exclusively designed for specific consoles, iGUGU leverages the many benefits of the PC platform to provide a game console that can play up to 99 percent of PC games and all Internet games, including many free online games. In addition, unlike traditional game consoles, a PC can be easily upgraded to support the requirements of more advanced games so the PC nor the games ever become obsolete.

Alright, we got a chance to check out iGUGU's Gamecore setup, and we're simultaneously impressed and disappointed. The fact that for $80 you can get all the hardware necessary to beam your PC video to your TV wirelessly and control games with a full QWERTY wireless controller is just plain great. We also love the form factor of the controller, since it's basically a clone of the Xbox 360 controller -- a little shameless, but our hands and fingers don't seem to mind. Unfortunately, the drawbacks are many. First and foremost, iGUGU's software is pretty abysmal, and for all its seeming attempts at simplifying access to games and media in a "TV friendly" manner, it only serves to complicate such actions. The second problem is that we're just not sure a trackball could really serve to satiate the desire of most PC games for a mouse control. We tried out a FPS and would've much preferred a joystick nub for aiming the camera, and while there's an accelerometer built into the controller, it felt overly sensitive in the racing game we tested -- and has rarely been proven to be much beyond a gimmick in the console world outside of very specifically targeted software. That said, the Xbox-style triggers and shoulder buttons are great, and the QWERTY keyboard is uncomfortably cheap but very usable. Perhaps for lower-impact games that don't involve the precision of a shooter or a racer we could see this working, but we're unconvinced we'd really enjoy the majority of the "27,000 available PC games" at this thing's disposal. Check out a video of it in action after the break.