We expected NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang to introduce a revamped Shield TV at CES; what we didn't expect was for the new device to be practically a carbon copy of the original. Sure, it's a lot smaller, but inside, it's running all of the same hardware we saw in 2015. And yet NVIDIA claims it's still much more powerful than any other set-top box. That's a testament to how robust the company's X1 chip is, but it's a disappointment for anyone who was hoping for something fresh. On the bright side, the new $200 Shield comes with a new controller that's light-years ahead of the last one. It's not revolutionary, but you can think of it as a refined spin on NVIDIA's original set-top box concept.
NVIDIA Shield (2017)
Pros
- A better deal than before
- New controller actually feels good
- Remote is bundled in the box
- Decent game streaming performance
Cons
- GeForce Now streaming requires a subscription and additional purchases
- Not so great for heavy-duty Android games
- No big internal hardware changes
- Not that much cheaper than a game console
Hardware
It's a smaller Shield TV -- that's pretty much it! Of course, there are some advantages to a more compact footprint. Now you can easily hide the set-top box in your entertainment center; it doesn't need to take up any prime territory. Stylewise, the new Shield keeps the sharp, angular design from the original, which is still pretty fetching. It certainly has character, which feels refreshing when set-top boxes otherwise tend to look boring.
On the back of the box, you have two USB 3.0 ports, an Ethernet jack and the usual HDMI and power connections. There's no microSD card slot this time around, but you can expand the Shield's paltry 16GB of storage with USB flash drives. Under the hood, there's the aforementioned X1 chip, along with 3GB of RAM. One nice bonus: The Shield's slim remote is now included in the box; previously, you had to buy it separately for an extra $50. The new one drops the rechargeable batteries and headphone jack as well, and sports a matte finish instead of brushed metal, but otherwise it still looks like an enlarged Apple TV remote.
Gallery: NVIDIA Shield TV review (2017) | 9 Photos
Gallery: NVIDIA Shield TV review (2017) | 9 Photos
If you're looking for sweeping, dramatic changes, you'll find them in the new Shield controller. It's slimmer, sleeker and far easier to hold than its bulky predecessor, which was simply a first-gen mess. Honestly, it would have been hard for NVIDIA to make things worse. The new controller sports an attractive polygonal design, which makes it look like it actually belongs with the Shield. Remember that the original model was repurposed from the Shield tablet, and it had all the ergonomics of a cheap third-party PC gamepad.
Most important, everything about the new controller feels good: Every button is more responsive, and the analog sticks are much more fluid. The directional pad is a bit stiff, but even that still feels improved.
Current Shield TV owners can also pick up the new controller for $60 on its own. And, to the company's credit, the older device will also get access to all of the big software upgrades coming to Shield this year. (More on those below.)
Software
Gallery: NVIDIA Shield TV software | 6 Photos
Gallery: NVIDIA Shield TV software | 6 Photos
The new Shield runs Android 7.0 Nougat, but it doesn't look any different than the Android TV interface that the last model launched with. On the home page, there's a row of highlighted content up top, along with apps you can hop into below. The overall interface is pretty basic, but it still feels more modern than what we've seen from Roku's recent streamers. One useful upgrade: You can finally switch between your recent apps easily by double-tapping the play button. (A command Apple TV owners already know well.)
NVIDIA also laid out an ambitious smart-home strategy for the Shield by adding extensive integration with the Google Assistant. Unfortunately, I couldn't test out that feature during my review, and it won't be available until later this year. It certainly looks promising, especially when used together with NVIDIA's Spot, which will let you shout commands at the Google Assistant from any room in your house. I can't imagine many people would actually make the Shield the centerpiece of their connected home, but it's an intriguing strategy nonetheless.
For now, the new Shield offers all the same basic voice commands as the last model. You can tap the microphone button to ask simple questions about the weather or recent sports games, and the Shield will respond quickly with a Google Now–esque card on your TV screen. And of course, you can also use the microphone button to perform voice searches for apps and things to watch.
As a streaming media player
The new Shield had no trouble streaming 4K and HDR content from both Netflix and Amazon, not that I expected it to struggle. That's something Roku's far less powerful devices can do these days, so something as powerful as the Shield shouldn't break a sweat.
As a gaming device
One big change this year for all of NVIDIA's Shield devices is its revamped GeForce Now service. It's now powered by GeForce 10-series GPUs, which should be able to handle high-end games easily. NVIDIA says it's also made various upgrades to the service that should help it run more smoothly and with less latency than before. That's pretty important when you're trying to play games that are being rendered remotely and streamed to you over the internet.
I was able to load up The Witcher 3 in about the same time it takes to launch on my gaming rig. At 1080p/60 fps and "ultra" graphic settings (the highest GeForce Now can current support), it simply looked great. I had to look very hard to find compression artifacts, and the only truly noticeable issue I encountered was some occasional audio dropout. Most important, I didn't feel any lag while running and jumping, and I had no trouble getting into the rhythm of the game's combat.
