Say what you will about Android-based microconsole efforts like Ouya and Gamestick, but the $100 devices hold a distinct price advantage over more powerful consoles from the bigger manufacturers. Gaming peripheral maker MadCatz is giving up a lot of that pricing advantage by launching pre-orders for its previously announced M.O.J.O. microconsole at $250 today.

That price reflects the beefy-for-an-Android-console specs inside the box. The M.O.J.O. upgrades the Nvidia Tegra 3 in the Ouya to a Tegra 4 processor and offers 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. That should help future-proof the console a bit, giving it a fighting chance to run high-end Android games that come out in the next year or two.

The bulk of mobile games today don't need nearly that much power, however, and even in the future a large proportion of Android-based titles are likely going to be casual fare that doesn't require anything close to high-end hardware. The $250 price point also pits the M.O.J.O. directly against full-fledged consoles like the Xbox 360 and PS3. Those systems are at the end of their lifespans, sure, but they still sport better hardware and much better existing software lineups than MadCatz's Android effort. They are also likely to continue getting software support for a few more years.

It's hard to see what market segment MadCatz is specifically targeting with its pricey, powerful Android console, but if you're part of that market, you can place your pre-order now; deliveries will begin on December 10.