Archos Reveals 7-Inch Android 4.0 Gamepad, Dual Core ARM 1.5GHz and Mali 400 GPU Driven

French electronics maker Archos announced a new portable game console that will be available well ahead of the holidays. The Android-based Archos GamePad has physical game controls that are designed to work with all of your Android games.

The key here is the GamePad’s compatibility with past, present, and future games, regardless of whether they're designed for physical controls. Archos says it has a patented technology for automatically mapping virtual controls to its physical controls. Identical sets of game buttons and analog sticks flank the GamePad’s 7-inch screen.

“Thanks to the mapping and automatic game recognition systems included on the GamePad, we already have over a thousand android games compatible with the ARCHOS GamePad’s physical controls, including back catalog titles that originally didn’t include physical controls,” says Henri Crohas, Archos founder and CEO.

The GamePad pairs an ARM Mali-400MP quad-core GPU and a 1.5GHz, dual-core CPU. Because it runs Android, you’ll be able to use it as you would other tablets: you can check email, browse the Internet, etc. Of course, you can also download games via Google Play.

Archos plans to release the GamePad for under 150€ (about $188) in October. Archos is also courting game developers, having already worked with certain shops during the development of the GamePad. If you’re a developer and want to connect with Archos, drop them a line at gamepad@archos.com.