NVIDIA’s SHIELD family of products is growing again.
NVIDIA tonight unveiled the new SHIELD, it’s Android TV-powered console. It’s powered by the Tegra X1, NVIDIA’s new chip that’s got a 256-core graphics processing unit. That processor helps the NVIDIA SHIELD console be capable of 60Hz 4K video.
In terms of ports, the NVIDIA SHIELD’s got HDMI out, Gigabit Ethernet, a microSD slot, and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. Also included with the SHIELD is 16GB of storage and 3GB of RAM. The SHIELD supports voice control over the microphone that’s built into the SHIELD controller and through a small remote control.
NVIDIA says that the SHIELD will be priced at $199 and that it’ll come with a SHIELD controller bundled in. You'll be able to buy additional controllers, a small remote control, and a stand for the SHIELD unit itself separately.
The console will have more 50 games available at launch, with more than 100 available by the end of 2015. NVIDIA SHIELD will also support NVIDIA GRID, a game streaming service that’ll let you play high-quality games without actually having them loaded onto your unit. Some games will be available for free, and you'll also be able to purchase and stream brand new AAA games like Batman: Arkham Knight and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on the same day that they're released to other consoles like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
The NVIDIA SHIELD is an interesting piece of hardware. Since it's based on Android TV, you'll be able to get to your movies and music on it, but you'll also be able to use it to play games with a real controller. And by games, I mean console-style games, not ones meant for a small touchscreen. Streaming content can be finicky, though, so you'll probably want to be sure you've got a speedy, solid connection before pulling the trigger on a SHIELD.
What do you think of the new NVIDIA SHIELD? Does its combination of Android TV and console gaming pique your interest?