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Leaks reveal cloud-based 'Verizon Gaming' service
Verizon probably isn't the first name that'll come to mind when you think of video games, but the carrier apparently has big gaming plans for the future. According to The Verge, the company is working on and is already alpha testing a cloud gaming service à la PlayStation Now called Verizon Gaming. Based on the forum posts and emails The Verge saw, Verizon has been recruiting testers for a while now, giving qualified applicants a free NVIDIA Shield TV, where the service is already up and running with 135 games, and an Xbox One Controller, which works with the platform. Testers also get a $150 Amazon gift card as a reward.
Nvidia's Shield TV gains Amazon Music streaming
Android set-top box Shield TV has already added Alexa and a fully-featured version of cloud game streaming service GeForce Now, but it's making room for another significant update in the lead up to Christmas. Chief among the new additions is an Amazon Music app, which joins the growing list of music streaming platforms (Spotify, Google Play Music, Tidal, Pandora) already on the streamer.
Alexa can take charge of your Shield TV
If you've always wanted to control your Shield TV using your Amazon Echo, now you can. Yes, Nvidia's set-top box has launched a dedicated Alexa skill that lets you switch it on and off, change channels, control the volume, fire up apps (like Amazon Prime Video and HBO Now), and more. The Android-powered device already integrated Google Assistant last September, making it the only streamer you can control with the rival voice assistants.
NVIDIA Shield update includes in-game voice chat support
NVIDIA is rolling out a Shield software upgrade today, bringing users new features as well as the return of one old one. The company's new GeForce Now beta was released not long ago and today's update introduces some improvements to the streaming service including in-game voice chat support for popular games like Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and the ability to connect a headset and mic to the Shield controller. Additionally, NVIDIA is tweaking its keyboard and mouse experience, introducing smoother and more accurate mouse movements, keyboard shortcuts and a Keyboard and Mouse Games row on GeForce Now. More day-and-date releases are on the way as well, like the upcoming Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Nintendo Wii, GameCube games come to China on NVIDIA Shield
As revealed by industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, Nintendo is teaming up with NVIDIA to release some of its Wii and Gamecube games in China for the first time. While NVIDIA's Tegra chip is at the heart of the Nintendo Switch, in this case, the games will run on the NVIDIA Shield, which hit the market today in China. NVIDIA confirmed that New Super Mario Bros. Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and PUNCH-OUT!! are all available now for the Shield in 1080p, while others including Super Mario Galaxy are "coming soon." Ahmad posted videos of Nintendo games running on the Shield (sourced from Weibo) and provided some pricing info, saying that the Shield in China costs 1499 RMB (about $226), while each remastered game costs 68 RMB (about $10). We wouldn't expect anything about this arrangement to expand beyond China in the foreseeable future, but the licensing arrangement is a way for Nintendo to crack the market officially. We don't have much information on the Shield that's available in China, but it is different from the US version, with local "content, store, search and more" plus a voice control AI powered by Baidu.
NVIDIA's Shield TV is the latest home for Google Assistant
Last month at IFA, we heard that more Google Assistant-integrating speakers and appliances were on the way. Today, NVIDIA's Shield TV joins the list, adding the search giant's digital assistant SDK to its retinue of entertainment features. In short, instead of a paltry speaker, you'll be able to use your entire home theater setup to command your life, one 'OK Google' at a time. In fact, Google says Assistant is coming to Android TV on the whole, so if you have another device running that platform, voice control is likely coming soon.
NVIDIA drops the basic Shield TV's price to $180
NVIDIA's Shield TV promised to be an Android set-top box for gamers, and in that sense, it delivered. The company first released it in 2015, but its updated version cut down on price by bundling the $50 remote in to make the base-tier $200 version more cost-efficient. Now they're dropping that price down to $180, which is an even better deal.
The best media streaming devices
By Chris Heinonen This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. The best media streaming device for most people is the updated Roku Streaming Stick. It's as fast to use as any streamer available and has a wider selection of apps than others offer. And unlike its main competitors, Roku doesn't try to sell content from its own store; rather than prioritizing one streaming service over another within its interface, it lets you customize what it displays to suit your preferences.
NVIDIA's Shield 2 prototype shows up in a Canadian pawn shop
Back in 2013, NVIDIA released the Shield, a handheld gaming unit that looked like a heftier Xbox controller paired with a fold-up screen. Powered by the company's then-current Tegra 4 chips, it ran on Android as a small powerhouse. The company renamed it the Shield Portable but never followed up with another officially-released handheld, instead moving on to a pair of tablet gaming machines. But a supposed prototype for the next version of the NVIDIA Shield Portable somehow wound up in a Canadian pawnshop.
Tablo easily turns Android TV boxes into standalone DVRs
If you already have a TV antenna and an Android TV box like the NVIDIA Shield, then you're very close to having everything you need for a DIY Tablo DVR. Instead of picking up one of the company's boxes that can start at $180, now you can simply add its $70 USB dual-tuner device, install the free Tablo Engine app and start watching TV. At first, tuner buyers will get access to six months of guide data for free. Once the introductory period is over, however, while they can watch live TV and view up to 24 hours of guide data without a subscription, accessing 14 days of the guide and getting a one-click record option will come at a cost. The price is $4 per month, or $40 paid annually.
NVIDIA's Shield is now an all-in-one Plex box
Everybody loves Plex, but it's always been a stumbling point for novice users that it still needs a dedicated, always-on PC to run the show. Thanks to the power of NVIDIA's Shield TV, that's no longer the case, and Plex has revealed that the device can act as a dedicated, standalone Plex server. Rather than having to tend to that media center machine you've got tucked under the stairs, the box under your TV can now handle it all, including remote play to mobile devices outside the home. Naturally, while both the Shield and Shield Pro can do the business, it's the latter unit that'll really come into its own, thanks to its 500GB of built-in storage.
HDHomeRun is ready to make your Android TV a DVR
When SiliconDust announced its DIY DVR project a year ago, recording your shows meant building a PC dedicated to the task, or hooking up network storage. Now it's testing out HDHomeRun Record for Android TV, which lets you create an entire DVR with just one of its TV tuner devices and an Android box. Unfortunately, suggested requirements of Android 6.0, Ethernet, and a USB 3.0 connection for external storage mean Amazon's Fire TV and Google's Nexus Player won't work, but NVIDIA Shield Pro owners should be able to try it out immediately, thanks to their 500GB of built-in storage. You can watch the recorded shows directly on the device, or on any platform that runs its HDHomeRun View app.
Square Enix games will stream to NVIDIA Shield
Publisher Square Enix is adding many of its titles to GeForce Now, the game subscription service for NVIDIA Shield devices. 2013's Tomb Raider will be first, followed by other franchises like Sleeping Dogs, Quantum Conundrum and Murdered: Soul Suspect.
You can finally watch Twitch streams on Android TV
Twitch has been on Google's Chromecast for over a year, so it's hard to believe it wasn't on Android TV before. But the streaming company has just revealed an official app for the Google's big-screen service, letting you watch live or pre-recorded games, personalities and e-sports tournaments on supported TVs or devices like NVIDIA's Shield. As usual, you'll be able to chat with fellow players, follow channels and games, and view broadcaster profiles and streaming schedules, all at up to 1080p/60fps quality.
NVIDIA's new Shield Tablet is just like the old one, but cheaper
NVIDIA's first Shield tablet was a device that got almost everything right: The 8-inch slate had a crisp display flanked by twin speakers, a surprisingly precise built-in stylus and a powerful 192-core Kepler K1 processor. At the time, it was easily the best Android gaming device on the market, and a pretty darn good media tablet to boot -- but NVIDIA quietly put the Shield to pasture earlier this year. Is the company preparing to launch a new, more powerful Shield tablet? Nope: It's putting the same slate back on the market, albeit with a lower, $199 price tag and fewer bells and whistles.
NVIDIA Shield update trades 'Sonic The Hedgehog' for Google Cast
Wish the original NVIDIA Shield Portable had Android 5.1 and Google Cast support? Now it does, but it comes at a price. A new, optional update for the Shield bestows the handheld with latest version of Lollipop, the ability to be a Chromecast / Google Cast source device and fixes a glitch that made Google Play Books unusable -- but in trade, it takes away Miracast support and permanently removes a handful of apps. Specifically, the update uninstalls Sonic 4: Episode II, Expendable: Rearmed and the original Android browser for compatibility reasons. Bummer. The update is optional -- but if you want the latest Android features on the aging device, you don't really have a choice. Check out the official update at the source link below.
NVIDIA Shield TV review: the best Android set-top box you can buy
Never let it be said that Google gives up on ideas that don't pan out the first time. Remember when it tried invading our living rooms with clunky, disappointing set-top boxes? And then when that very same software went on to find a life right on smart TVs? Think of all that as a prelude to where we are today -- Google TV has given way to Android TV, and now NVIDIA's cooked up an interesting spin on a formula that's nearly a year old. The Shield TV's gaming cred and sleek design make it far and away the most interesting Android TV setup we've seen to date, but does that mean it's worth your hard-earned cash? The short answer is "yes," but the Shield only shines brightest if you've got the right sort of hardware already in place.
Using NVIDIA's streaming, Android TV set-top box: the Shield
You already know what NVIDIA's latest Shield hardware is: an Android TV-powered set-top box that uses the latest chip from NVIDIA. It streams games over the company's "Netflix for gaming" platform known as GRID; it streams games from your local PC; it powers Twitch streaming at the same time of said streamed content; heck, it powers games like Crysis 3 locally, running on Android. But is it any good? The only answer I've got is maybe.
Shield: NVIDIA's $200 gaming-focused Android TV set-top box
Another year, another new Shield device from NVIDIA. What's Shield? It's the hardware line from NVIDIA that spans a bizarre handheld game console, a powerful gaming tablet, and now a $200, Android TV-powered set-top box. NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang unveiled the Android TV-powered set-top box this evening during a GDC 2015 press conference, which the company referred to as a combination "revolutionary TV", "gaming console" and "supercomputer." Head below for all the specs as we learn them live from NVIDIA.
Meet Engadget's new buyer's guide picks: The iPhone 6, Moto X and more!
Here at Engadget, we make good on our promises. So when we say we're going to be updating our buyer's guide more frequently, well, gosh darn, we mean it. Roughly two months after we re-launched the guide, we're adding a bunch of new gadgets, including the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the new Moto X, HTC One M8 for Windows, the Acer C720 Chromebook, the NVIDIA Shield gaming tablet and the Moto 360 smartwatch. Of course, we also had to remove some of our original picks to make room for the new ones: The new, 5.2-inch Moto X takes the place of the old 4.7-inch one, while the Moto 360 overtakes the Samsung Gear Live -- formerly our favorite Android Wear device. We're also getting rid of all the BlackBerrys for now. That's not to say BBM hold-outs should switch operating systems, but until we get to try the new BlackBerry Passport, we're going to refrain from including those older models. Check out our guide right here, and stay tuned for more updates next month -- who knows what we'll be adding then!
