The SHIELD also makes use of Nvidia GRID, their game streaming service. Nvidia says that without their years of hard work and research, streaming of games just wouldn't exist, having conveniently forgotten about services like Onlive or PlayStation Now. I digress.
Built on Android TV, SHIELD can play top-quality 4K video content, includes one-click access to Google Voice Search and provides the richness of Android's app ecosystem.
SHIELD is a sleek device that comes loaded with cutting-edge NVIDIA technologies, including the recently launched NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor.
SHIELD is also the gateway to the NVIDIA GRID game-streaming service. Powered by GeForce GTX supercomputers in the cloud, GRID delivers an on-demand "Netflix for games" experience at up to 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second.
SHIELD is a sleek device that comes loaded with cutting-edge NVIDIA technologies, including the recently launched NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor.
SHIELD is also the gateway to the NVIDIA GRID game-streaming service. Powered by GeForce GTX supercomputers in the cloud, GRID delivers an on-demand "Netflix for games" experience at up to 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second.
What can we expect from the SHIELD as far as gaming is concerned?
SHIELD -- sold with the SHIELD controller made for serious gaming -- is a single platform with access to a wealth of great games.
First, 50+ Android titles optimized for SHIELD will be available for download, including AAA titles like Crysis 3, Doom 3: BFG Edition and Borderlands: TPS. These can be played at blistering speed, thanks to SHIELD's Tegra X1 processor, with its 256-core Maxwell architecture GPU and 64-bit CPU.
Second, favorite AAA titles, including console games, can be streamed using the GRID on-demand game-streaming service. GRID will include with its subscription price access to 50 titles, such as Batman: Arkham Origins, GRID 2 and Metro: Last Light Redux, with additional titles added each week.
Third, the GRID service can be used to purchase and stream new release AAA titles -- including Batman: Arkham Knight and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt coming later this year.
First, 50+ Android titles optimized for SHIELD will be available for download, including AAA titles like Crysis 3, Doom 3: BFG Edition and Borderlands: TPS. These can be played at blistering speed, thanks to SHIELD's Tegra X1 processor, with its 256-core Maxwell architecture GPU and 64-bit CPU.
Second, favorite AAA titles, including console games, can be streamed using the GRID on-demand game-streaming service. GRID will include with its subscription price access to 50 titles, such as Batman: Arkham Origins, GRID 2 and Metro: Last Light Redux, with additional titles added each week.
Third, the GRID service can be used to purchase and stream new release AAA titles -- including Batman: Arkham Knight and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt coming later this year.
That's not too bad really, so long as you factor in the use of GRID. The console will ship in May for $199 (USD) and will include an Nvidia controller as well. The full technical specs of the SHIELD can be seen below along with a nice image of the device.
Specifications
Processor NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor with 256-core Maxwell GPU with 3GB RAM
Video Features 4K Ultra-HD Ready with 4K playback and capture up to 60 fps (VP9, H265, H264)
Audio Features 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound pass through over HDMI
High-resolution audio playback up to 24-bit/192kHz over HDMI and USB
High-resolution audio upsample to 24-bit/192hHz over USB
Storage1 16GB
Wireless 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 4.1/BLE
Interfaces Gigabit Ethernet
HDMI 2.0
Two USB 3.0 (Type A)2
Micro-USB 2.0
MicroSD slot (supports 128GB cards)
IR Receiver (compatible with Logitech Harmony)
Gaming Features NVIDIA GRID streaming service
NVIDIA GameStream
Weight and Size Weight: 23oz / 654g
Height: 5.1in / 130mm
Width: 8.3in / 210mm
Depth: 1.0in / 25mm
1 Portion of storage occupied by system software. 2 Supports NTFS, HFS+ and exFAT for USB drives.
Processor NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor with 256-core Maxwell GPU with 3GB RAM
Video Features 4K Ultra-HD Ready with 4K playback and capture up to 60 fps (VP9, H265, H264)
Audio Features 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound pass through over HDMI
High-resolution audio playback up to 24-bit/192kHz over HDMI and USB
High-resolution audio upsample to 24-bit/192hHz over USB
Storage1 16GB
Wireless 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 4.1/BLE
Interfaces Gigabit Ethernet
HDMI 2.0
Two USB 3.0 (Type A)2
Micro-USB 2.0
MicroSD slot (supports 128GB cards)
IR Receiver (compatible with Logitech Harmony)
Gaming Features NVIDIA GRID streaming service
NVIDIA GameStream
Weight and Size Weight: 23oz / 654g
Height: 5.1in / 130mm
Width: 8.3in / 210mm
Depth: 1.0in / 25mm
1 Portion of storage occupied by system software. 2 Supports NTFS, HFS+ and exFAT for USB drives.
They said Borderlands: TPS was 30fps but it was half of that, easily, during the demo. That's on top of that looked to be a 70ish FOV.
Croteam's The Talos Principle looked decent enough but the framerate also seemed to suffer.
They showed off Doom 3, an ELEVEN YEAR OLD GAME, and it seemed to run okay but I would expect as much for a game that came out when the PS2 was still the big dog in the console realm.
The Tegra X1 makes the SHIELD (without GRID) just slightly more powerful than a Wii U. Very slightly.
When talking about the GRID service (cloud streaming, similar/identical to PS Now, Onlive), they said that 150ms response time is great. No! No, it's not! Try playing Metal Gear Rising (a game that will be available on GRID mind you) with a 150ms response time. There's no way. They also apparently said (not during the conference) that they recommend a 50Mbps connection for 1080p and 60fps. That pretty much rules out a huge chunk of the United States right away.
The 50Mbps is a joke. Not gonna happen. 50Mbps in the US is around what... $75/mo just for the speed? Not very many people have the assets to pay for that speed... let alone to pay for that speed for use on a crappy console that still stream it at 150ms latency with that connection.