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NVIDIA's LTE Shield tablet is finally available for pre-order
If we were to cherry-pick one major fault from our NVIDIA Shield tablet review, it would definitely be the slate's storage space -- 16GB just isn't enough for a device built for gaming and media consumption. If you were holding off until the company put out a larger capacity version, your day has come: NVIDIA just announced that the 32GB LTE variant of the Shield is now available for pre-order. $399 buys the unlocked LTE tablet in its own right, but NVIDIA tells us that AT&T will be offering it for $299 on contract.
NVIDIA's new Shield is a tablet built for gaming
In January 2013, NVIDIA unveiled its first end-to-end consumer product: NVIDIA Shield. In our review, I wrote, "NVIDIA Shield is a truly strange device" One year later, that statement stands -- only now it applies to NVIDIA's second consumer product as well: the Shield tablet. Okay, okay, Shield Tablet isn't quite as bizarre as the original Shield, but it's a close second. Shield Tablet dumps the original Shield's 5-inch screen in favor of a bigger 8-inch, 1080p display, swaps the original Tegra 4 in favor of K1 and drops the controller bit entirely. Should you wish to pair a controller with Shield Tablet -- and NVIDIA thinks you should -- the company's making one (it's even got WiFi Direct for lower latency than Bluetooth), but it's totally optional and doesn't come packed in with the tablet. So, what is this thing? Who is it for? And is it any good? Let's find out.
NVIDIA's Shield successor is a tablet
The next version of NVIDIA's funky handheld Shield console will actually be called the Shield Tablet, according to a listing from a testing body called the Global Certification Forum (GCF). There's been much speculation about the device, especially after a diagram of what looks like the controller showed up at the FCC. That's usually a sign that a product is imminent, and we were told last year that a new model could come sooner than expected by NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang himself (see the video below). As a reminder, the original Shield is a portable, Tegra-powered console, with a built in controller and 5-inch screen that can run Android games and apps. But it's main raison d'etre is to wirelessly stream games from your NVIDIA-equipped PC, making it a rather nichey device. The GCF page confirms the "Shield Tablet" name that NVIDIA posted by mistake on its own site, and adds the fact that it'll have 4G capability.
NVIDIA's Shield can now stream your PC games when you're out of the house
People scoffed when NVIDIA first revealed the Shield (just check out these comments), but a slew of software updates are turning it into one of the best Android gaming gewgaws out there. Speaking of which, this month's update has just gone live and it's a doozy. Once installed, you can use your Shield to remotely play up to 100 supported games that live on your home PC (assuming you've got a solid network connection, that is) as well as stream games running on properly equipped laptops too. Throw in support for Bluetooth keyboards and mice for games that require plenty of precision (we're looking at you, Civ 5) and you've got yourself a hefty little package to install. Between all these updates and that temporary $50 price cut NVIDIA announced last month, it's clear that the company is committed to the Shield vision -- now we just need to see if consumers inundated with mobile gaming options finally take the plunge.
Gaming deals of the week: 4.4.14
The weekend is here, so why not celebrate with a gaming purchase? If you hadn't heard already, NVIDIA's Shield is currently sporting a $50 price cut, and there's a handful of other gadgets on the other side of the break that are ready to outfit your exploits. Some of the offers will only be around for a few days, so you'll want to decide quickly whether or not to commit your funds. If there are other gaming purchases that you're after that we haven't included here -- join us and add them to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut in the future, you'll get an email alert!
NVIDIA Shield gets temporary price drop, soon to support remote PC gaming
The GameStream technology that powers the NVIDIA Shield's PC streaming feature is neat, but it has its limitations. Games can only be streamed from desktop PCs running specific GPUs, and only to devices connected to a local network. That's about to change: Pending an update in early April, Shield owners will be able to stream their PC games not only from GeForce GTX-equipped laptops, but over the internet as well. Remote streaming has its own limitations, of course -- NVIDIA recommends a minimum upload/download speed of 5 Mbps -- but the new GameStream beta will let gamers remotely wake up, log in to and play games from their home PC from any location with a stable WiFi connection. NVIDIA is also making it a little easier to stream unofficially supported PC titles, and will update its GeForce Experience desktop software with tools that will push any PC application to the Shield's GameStream list. The spring update also adds Bluetooth keyboard and mouse support, as well as several tweaks to the Shield UI. Specifically, the TegraZone store will be getting categories (action, adventure, etc.) as well as a news section. Finally, NVIDIA will be selling the handheld at a $50 discount from now until the end of April. Already have one? Sit tight -- that update goes live on April 2nd.
NVIDIA's mobile game portal now available for non-Tegra devices
Jealous of your friends' phones packing NVIDIA chips and the access to TegraZone that they enjoy? You need not be any longer, as the game portal's latest update means you can install it on gadgets with generic (read: non-Tegra) silicon. Plus, Android Community reports that it also adds enhanced support for the Mad Catz Project M.O.J.O. and NVIDIA Shield consoles. The update also brings achievements (thanks to Google Play Game services) and a Google+ login system that "personalizes" the application to your tastes... whatever that means. We checked the Play Store and the app was available on all of our devices -- even an old LG Optimus V -- but of course, your mileage may vary. Just try to not be disheartened if you see it stocked with games that your gizmo can't run, okay?
Mad Catz working with NVIDIA to bring GameStream to MOJO
Remember that PC streaming feature Mad Catz' MOJO is supposed to be getting sometime after launch? It might be powered by NVIDIA's GameStream technology. "We're talking to NVIDIA and we hope to enable GameStream soon after the launch of the console," Alex Verrey, Mad Catz' Global PR Director told Engadget at Expand NY this weekend. Right now, the technology is only available on NVIDIA's own Shield handheld -- if the Mad Catz deal pans out, it would be the first appearance of GameStream on a third party device. Verrey stopped just short of confirming the partnership, but suggested that the company was looking at other platforms, too. "We're also very excited for Steam and we look at all these opportunities with interest."
NVIDIA Shield update brings Android 4.3, Console Mode and official Gamestream support
NVIDIA promised that we'd see big upgrades to its Shield gaming system today, and it's delivering them in spades. A just-launched Android 4.3 update introduces Console Mode, which lets players steer a TV-connected Shield through a Bluetooth gamepad; NVIDIA supplies a button mapping utility that adds hardware controls to games which expect touch input. The release also takes Gamestream out of beta, providing official PC-to-Shield streaming for more than 50 titles. A few interface-level tweaks come with the new OS, including actionable notifications, restricted profiles and the option of moving app files to an SD card. The update should be rolling out now, but gamers who don't yet have a Shield now have an extra incentive to pick one up. NVIDIA is lopping $100 off the system's price as part of a bundle that includes a GeForce GTX graphics card as well as copies of Assassin's Creed 4, Batman: Arkham Origins and Splinter Cell: Blacklist.
NVIDIA's got a Shield 2 in the works with a next-gen Tegra heart, and why G-Sync is a big deal
At least according to NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. NVIDIA employees filled Montreal Marriott's Salle de Bal 1,000-person capacity basement ballroom late last week, where Huang announced a hat-trick of major news for the company -- Gamestream, G-Sync, and the new GTX 780 Ti GPU -- to raucous applause. The highlight of the three, and the one that Huang emphasized by flying in a trio of game industry legends, is G-Sync. The module will arrive built into gaming monitors starting early next year, and it aims to solve the issues of tearing, stutter, and lag. The aforementioned trio of legends -- Oculus' John Carmack, Epic's Tim Sweeney, and EA DICE's Johan Andersson -- vouched for G-Sync, but we were lucky enough to grab Huang for a quick followup interview post-presentation. Beyond discussing last week's big announcements, Huang spoke to Project Logan (aka: the next Tegra chip) and NVIDIA Shield 2 (which may be coming sooner than you'd think); Huang told us he'd love to see Logan powering the next version of Shield as representative hardware ahead of anything else. Head below the break for the full video.
This week on gdgt: NVIDIA's Shield, Samsung's S4 mini, and camping tech
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
NVIDIA Shield now has open source software support
We loved NVIDIA Shield's bone stock Jelly Bean OS in our review, but if you're not a huge fan, NVIDIA's now offering a way to dig in and customize your Shield's OS even more. NVIDIA's made the Shield's software open source as of today, making the OS all the easier to customize. You'll of course have to root your device and, ya know, have an idea of what you're doing in the guts of a computer. NVIDIA warns new owners as much, saying, "To be sure, this is double-diamond stuff. If you're not a coder or already set up with an Android development environment you should skip downloading these tools." The company's blog post also notes that rooting your Shield or adding a bootloader will potentially void your device's warranty, so hacker beware! Should the associated tasks and NVIDIA's warnings not scare you off, the software is available right here. Our review video of the Shield is just below, in case you missed it last week.
Editor's Letter: Made in the USA... sort of
Motorola has been doing its best to build some buzz around the Moto X, which launched this week. As a smartphone, the X is decidedly middle-of-the-road. It boasts specs and a design similar to the Droid models Motorola announced last week. Available later this month at $199 on-contract from most major US carriers, the X's biggest claim to fame -- other than swappable backplates, including one made of wood -- is the fact that it's assembled in the US, in a 500,000-square-foot factory in Fort Worth, Texas. Yes, that's "assembled." Despite widespread reports that the X is being made in the US, most of its components, from its display to those backplates, are produced in factories around the world, and workers in Texas will assemble the phones. Does it really matter where your smartphone is made? If your main concern is domestic job creation, it might. A 2012 survey by Boston Consulting Group found that over 80 percent of Americans are willing to pay more for products that are made in the US instead of China, mainly because they want to keep jobs in the country. Interestingly, the same survey found that 60 percent of Chinese consumers would pay a premium for US-made products, apparently based on the belief that the US produces higher-quality products. When it comes to smartphones, that's an idea that's difficult to put to the test; there are none currently manufactured in the United States, and that's not about to change with the launch of the X.
NVIDIA Shield teardown dives deep inside the massive handheld
The folks at iFixit are braver souls than us, taking on NVIDIA's tank-like new gaming handheld, the Shield, in a teardown. Shield's cavernous shell houses a mess of multicolored parts, and hilariously reveals its Batman mask-esque properties when freed of said parts. Though it certainly doesn't look like an easy process, the repair site offers a six out of 10 rating; it specifically cites the battery and screen as being tricky to replace. NVIDIA's Shield was a big surprise at this year's Consumer Electronics Show -- CEO Jen-Hsun Huang showed up with the device on-stage during his company's press briefing, where he used it to demonstrate the just unveiled Tegra 4 processor. We finally got our hands on the final retail version earlier this month and you can find the full review right here. Consumers can also finally purchase the $300 handheld as of yesterday.
NVIDIA Shield review (update: video!)
More Info Hands-on with NVIDIA Shield NVIDIA Shield now $300 NVIDIA Shield ships July 31st NVIDIA Shield is a truly strange device. It combines an eight-button console-size gamepad with dual analog sticks, and a 5-inch "multi-touch, retinal" screen. It runs stock Android 4.2.1. It touts wireless PC game streaming as its main selling point. It plays Android games, it plays PC games, it does the Twitter and the Gmail, et cetera. With Shield, NVIDIA is aiming to be the Swiss Army Knife of handheld game consoles. It slices! It dices! ShamWOW! It also costs $300, weighs nearly 1.5 pounds and takes up quite a bit of bag space. Its main selling point -- PC game streaming -- is dependent on the user already owning a PC with a relatively fancy ($140) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 GPU or better. Let's be honest, though: you already know this stuff, right? If you're reading this review, you either already own all the necessary gear and wanna know if this is a worthwhile peripheral for your PC, or you're morbidly curious about NVIDIA's (admittedly bizarre) console experiment. Let's all head below and try to find satisfaction. Update: We've added our full review video below -- please excuse the lateness! We ran into some technical glitches on our end, but we seem to have conquered them. Enjoy!%Gallery-195041%
NVIDIA Shield ships July 31st, barely meets delayed launch window
NVIDIA has confirmed that its upcoming Android gaming handheld, Shield, will start shipping on July 31st. The Tegra 4 testing platform was originally scheduled to hit online retailers in late June, but was delayed due to "a mechanical issue that relates to a third-party component." Now, the company is writing to customers with pre-orders thanking them for their patience and assuring them the product will be on its way by the end of the month. The finalized ship date puts the product within its delayed July launch window by technicality, but due to the nature of snail mail, most buyers probably won't receive their unit until after the first of August. Frustrating for eager buyers perhaps, but at least NVIDIA's email strikes an apologetic tone -- assuring customers that the delay was a quality assurance measure. Can't wait until the end of the month? Check out our hands-on with the final hardware right here. Didn't pre-order? You'll find the company's official statement after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
NVIDIA Shield retail launch delayed to July due to third-party component issue
NVIDIA's Shield won't arrive on its previously announced date of June 27th, instead moving its launch date to an undetermined point in July. A statement issued by NVIDIA explains the delay ambiguously, citing "a mechanical issue that relates to a third-party component" -- the company confirmed to Engadget it's an internal component, but wouldn't go into any more detail. "We want Shield to be perfect, so we have elected to shift the launch date to July," the statement reads. We pushed the company for a specific date but were rebuffed -- "We'll update you as soon as we have an exact date," was all we were told. We'll have a full review of the Shield just ahead of its July launch; for now, we've got a hands-on with the final version from mid-May to tide you over. Head below the break for that video.
NVIDIA's Shield now $300, arrives on June 27th (video)
Even before hitting store shelves, NVIDIA's Shield is shedding $50 from its original $350 asking price -- the little Android portable gaming console will cost $300 when it arrives at retail on June 27th. NVIDIA revealed both the new, lower price and release date today in a blog post which cited gamers asking for a lower price as the reason for the change. "We've heard from thousands of gamers that if the price was $299, we'd have a home run," the post reads. As such, the company's aiming for "a home run" with the new price point -- despite $300 being $50 more than a new PlayStation Vita, and just $100 short of a new PlayStation 4. Folks who pre-ordered aren't out of luck, they'll just be charged $300 when their unit ships rather than $350. As for where you can pick a Shield up outside of NVIDIA's official website ... well, we're waiting on word from the company on supported retailers. We've dropped the video of our hands-on with the final Shield just below, should you wish to relive those memories with us. Update: NVIDIA tells us that Newegg, GameStop, Micro Center and Canada Computers will all have Shield on the 27th.
Nyko reveals new accessories for Xbox One, PS4 and NVIDIA Shield
Now that we know mostly everything about the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, it's about time for peripheral makers to start showcasing their planned gear for these next-gen consoles. As such, Nyko's taken to this year's E3 to announce a few products meant to be used alongside Microsoft and Sony's recently announced entertainment boxes -- there's a Smart Clip, a Charge Base and a Headset Adaptor (Xbox One-only). Meanwhile, Nyko also took the time to unveil a little something for the NVIDIA Shield, including a dock that doubles as a charging station, a couple of sleek traveling cases and a kit which provides power to the unorthodox handheld while on the go or at home. Nyko didn't dive into much of the availability (or pricing) specifics, but the trend seems to be that the add-ons will be available later this year. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.%Gallery-191072%
NVIDIA Shield drops by the FCC, gets ready to fill pre-orders
Eager to get your mitts on NVIDIA's first Tegra 4 device? Cast your jealous eyes upon the federal government -- they've already got one. NVIDIA's Shield gaming handheld dropped by the FCC to get its label approved, betraying its original code name, Project Thor, in the processes. Hardly a surprise to see the device passing federal muster, of course, as it's slated for release at the end of next month. Unfortunately, the filings don't reveal any hidden goodies (that is, no cellular radio), just a standard WiFi antenna. Still, if label location drawings and test reports are your thing, check out the FCC link below.
