Since the boom in smartphones and tablet PCs gamers have had a larger choice of options to get their gaming fix while on the go, which was previously limited to dedicated gaming consoles such as the Nintendo DS. Now the Archos GamePad has been announced that is a 7-inch Android ICS tablet that promises some gaming joy.

As Cnet are reporting if you are lusting after a Sony PlayStation Vita but don’t quite have the money, the new Archos GamePad may be the answer. The device features a seven inch capacitive touchscreen, and also has a nice collection of physical control buttons and analogue sticks to keep gamers happy.

Powering the handheld gaming device is a 1.5GHz dual core processor coupled with a Mali 400MP quad core GPU. The Archos GamePad will come Google certified so owners will have access to the Google Play Store for games and applications, and they will also be able to map touch controls to the unit’s physical keys.

Users should also be able to download TV shows and books from Google Play for those that want to use the Archos GamePad for more typical tablet activities. The company has pegged the launch date for the device at the end of October, which will make it ideal for many people’s Christmas lists and will priced at around £130.

Archos has also revealed that they have developed a game and mapping recognition tool, which will automatically allow almost all the popular and recent Android games compatible with the device. The company are also claiming that there is already over 1000 popular titles compatible with the Archos GamePad and work well.

Do you like the look of the upcoming Archos GamePad?