Nearly three months after introducing the SHIELD console, NVIDIA has launched its newest Android gaming device.
NVIDIA SHIELD console is available today from NVIDIA’s online shop, Amazon, and Best Buy. Interested consumers have two models to choose from. The first is a $199.99 base model that includes a SHIELD Controller, HDMI cable, 90 days of Google Play Music, a $30 Google Play gift card, 16GB of storage, and a microSD slot for added space. Stepping up to $299.99 will get you the oft-rumored SHIELD Pro model that’ll up the included storage to 500GB and also throws in a copy of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! It’s worth noting that the 500GB model is still a few days out, with NVIDIA quoting a June 3 ship date and Amazon shipping units starting June 12.
NVIDIA is also selling a few accessories for its Android TV-based console. You cam buy a voice search-enabled remote control for $49.99, a stand for $29.99, and additional controllers for $59.99 apiece.
The NVIDIA SHIELD console is powered by Android TV and includes NVIDIA’s new Tegra X1 processor with a 256-core graphics processing unit. The console also supports HDMI out, Gigabit Ethernet, 3GB of RAM, and a pair of USB 3.0 ports, which ought to let you add storage to your heart’s content. At launch, NVIDIA’s SHIELD can access more than 200 games on Android TV, and there are nearly 20 that are headed to SHIELD in the coming months.
NVIDIA has been pushing Android gaming hard with devices like the SHIELD Portable and SHIELD tablet, and now it’s shifting its focus from small mobile devices to products meant for the home. The SHIELD console sounds like a pretty powerful device, and it’ll be interesting to see how well the Tegra X1 handles the games and NVIDIA’s GRID game streaming service. The good news is that since the SHIELD console runs Android TV, it’s not only a gaming box because it can also show videos and other content.
Now that it’s launched, are you going to buy an NVIDIA SHIELD console?
