NVIDIA Shield product line has had a solid growth within the past year. Both the Shield Tablet and the Shield portable were well received and have had a strong following since their release. Capitalizing on both devices' success, NVIDIA has recently expanded its shield inventory with the addition of the Shield Android TV Box.
The NVIDIA Shield Android TV Box comes as an 8.3 in x 5.1in x 1in console that is accentuated by stylishly angled plastic and brushed aluminum panels. The green LED found on top of the device, which serves as the system light indicator, is also subtle enough to not be a nuisance but it can be adjusted if need be.
A Tegra X 1 processor, an 8-core CPU with four Cortex A57 cores and four Cortex A53 cores, 3GB of GDDR4 RAM and a 256-core Maxwell GPU, powers the NVIDIA Shield console. The combination makes for a device that is two times more powerful than an Xbox 360 and has less power consumption.
The main highlight of the Shield console, however, is being the first device to run Android TV in 4k, 4k playback at 60fps and 4k capture at 30fps. This much graphics processing power allows the console to run "Crysis 3," "Borderlands," "The Wolf Among Us," and many other game titles. More graphics-demanding games like "Witcher 3" and "XXX" cannot run natively on the console. But worry not because NVIDIA offers a couple of ways to bridge the limits of its console.
NVIDIA's Gamestream technology allows Shield users to utilize the NVIDIA graphics cards installed on a PC to power the games. NVIDIA Shield devices, such as the tablet and the console, will then recapture the output data and display it on a screen. The devices will also be responsible for receiving the controller input, which they will feed back to the PC. Hence, the only real limit to what can be played depends on the PC and NVIDIA graphics card specs.
For those who don't have gaming PCs, NVIDIA Grid is available. It allows a Shield Android TV Box owner to tap into NVIDIA's cloud system, which has a plethora of games that can played over the Internet. Game titles range from "Assassin's Creed" to "Bioshock Infinite" and even "World of Warcraft."
However, it should be noted that both Gamestream and Grid require solid network connections. For NVIDIA Grid, 5 Mbps-15 Mbps connections can run games on 30fps at 720p while those above 15 Mbps allows 60fps at 1080p. In addition, while the Grid service is still currently free, a monthly subscription and other microtransaction options through the "Grid Store" should be expected after the beta ends on July 30.
The NVIDIA Android-powered console comes in two packages — the 16 GB, which sells for $199.99, and the 500 GB, which incorporates a 2.5-inch HDD and retails for $299.99. Both packages include the redesigned NVIDIA controller, power adapter, and microUSB cables. Consumers will also be offered a remote for $49 and a vertical stand for $29.
