NVIDIA brought its new Shield handheld gaming system to Google I/O this year, and was showing off a near production device. The Shield made its debut at CES this year, surprising most since it’s a consumer handheld device from a company that generally makes internal components, but it has some neat tricks up its sleeve, including a Tegra 4 chipset, 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch 720p display and 16GB of internal storage.
The Shield units available at I/O this week were all running Android and showing off Android games with hardware controller support, and none were demoing the PC game streaming NVIDIA announced would be coming to Shield as a beta when it comes to retail in June.
My experience with the NVIDIA was limited to just a few games, including the Epic Citadel demo that always gets trotted out to demonstrate amazing graphics capabilities on mobile devices. There were also a couple playable cart racers in action, and all of the above performed well and really showed that the hardware is capable of rendering high-quality video smoothly and without any apparent effort. For a device that’s essentially a smartphone without the actual phone powers, but with more physical buttons for $349, that’s an important achievement to be able to claim.
Shield does its Android job well, and the hardware feels great to these gamer’s hands. Buttons are slightly clicky and the ergonomics are solid, and the thing doesn’t take up too much more space than an Xbox controller when the screen is folded down and it’s in travel mode. There’s mini-HDMI, which was outputting gameplay to a small HD television, and a micro-USB slot for charging. The onboard screen boasts “retinal” quality 294 PPI pixel density, which means video and games look silky smooth.
Maybe the best part is that Nvidia has gone for a pretty near stock Android Jelly Bean experience, which a rep from the company told me was a conscious choice they made after first trying a more involved widget overlay that ended up making for a much less pleasant experience. Navigating the stock Android with hardware controls (you can also always use the touchscreen) is also surprisingly intuitive.
All that said, this is a strange device with a market that’s probably going to be pretty niche. Really, it almost seems like a reference device designed to show off the power of Tegra, but Nvidia is actually shipping the thing, so those of us like me who actually have a hankering for this kind of hardware will really be able to buy it, even if it doesn’t become a runaway success.
It would appear that NVIDIA is ready to power HP’s newest attempt at converging the mobile and desktop worlds with a transforming notebook/tablet machine called the HP SlateBook x2. This device works with a 10.1-inch HP touchscreen display, an NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor under the hood, and a version of Android that’s all but vanilla. Taking on the mantle brought up with the ASUS Transformer tablet/notebooks many seasons before, here HP attempts to make Android an all-day OS.
Inside this device you’ve got 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot that allows you to expand memory by 32GB, and 2GB of RAM. You’ll also be able to work with full-sized SD cards in a slot separate from the smaller cards. Inside both the slate itself and the keyboard dock you’ll find batteries ready to bring on a rather massive amount of up-time.
Sound will be handled by HP’s implementation of DTS Sound+, which sounds nice, but this device’s speakers continue to suffer from the dreaded back-facing syndrome that continues to plague the tablet universe. Until they head to the front, you’ll continue to get a bounced-sound experience.
The display on this machine is a 1920 x 1200 resolution IPS panel with some impressive viewing angles and 400 nit brightness. Through this you’ll be breaking out high-definition graphics at 224.17 PPI – not the densest panel in the world by any means, but certainly ready to compete with the rest of the 10.1-inch competitors on the market today.
This system is officially licensed by Google, meaning you’ll have access to the Google Play system for media – apps, movies, music, books, and the like. Android is a nearly-vanilla iteration with 4.2.2 Jelly Bean ready right out of the box. It’s not yet clear whether HP will be handling updates for the system itself in the future, or if Google will be able to send updates directly: once the final software build is shown, we’ll know for sure.
Above you’ll get a peek at an extended chat we had with NVIDIA’s Technical Marketing Director Nick Stam earlier this year about the NVIDIA Tegra 4 mobile processor. This processor is being delivered in the HP SlateBook x2, the first transformable machine to deliver it and one of the first devices in general to deliver it as well. Another high-powered example: NVIDIA’s SHIELD.
The HP SlateBook x2 will be available starting in August in the United States for $479.99 USD, while international sales have not yet been confirmed. This device will be released alongside a similar machine working with Windows going by the name HP Split x2 – have a peek at that machine and the rest of HP’s ever-expanding line of devices in SlashGear’s HP tag portal right this minute!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
With Google Glass finally in the hands of developers, and HTC’s flagship One smartphone readily available around the globe it’s time to test the video camera capabilities a bit, while also showing off some cool new technology. Get ready for a video capture comparison from Google Glass, the HTC One, and the Olympus OM-D camera. What makes this even better is you’re getting an overload of technology, because this video shootout is done while also taking a peek at NVIDIA’s SHIELD controlling the Parrot AR Drone.
So not only are we testing the camera capabilities of these three devices, but you’ll also get an exclusive look at NVIDIA‘s Android game-console doubling as a remote as it controls and flies the Parrot AR Drone. Talk about gadget overload. There’s a lot of different needs that come to mind when someone decides on a smartphone or camera, and here we’ll be showing three different options, as well as their pros and cons.
Obviously with the HTC One you’ll get full 1080p video capture using their Ultrapixel camera one the smartphone. Which is an experience that these days everyone is pretty familiar with. Flip on the camera and aim your smartphone at the subject. This is convenient, but then this is also where Google Glass just takes things up a notch. You’ll enjoy nearly the same video experience, only completely hands-free. Everyone has mixed feelings about Google Glass, but being able to record demo videos for you guys, hands-on video, unboxings and more without a tripod and just using Glass is quite nice.
Google Glass in a way has opened up an entire new experience and way we easily and quickly record video. Yes you can attach a GoPro to your chest, but this is different. Below you’ll see three videos. The first being a quick demo of the NVIDIA SHIELD recorded by Google Glass. The second will be with the HTC One. Then the third will be a back-and-forth video in a different setting comparing Glass to something like the Olympus OM-D camera. Google Glass 720p video capture
As mentioned above, the simple and hands-free experience using Glass is nice, but you’ll instantly notice the video is a little jerky at times. Here’s where there are both pros and cons. Glass video is hands-free, easy to do, and convenient but you’ll have to learn to hold that head of yours still. It takes some getting use to, and you might want to use hand gestures instead of turning your head, or moving it at all.
Then with Glass you only get 720p video capture on that 5 megapixel lens, but the quality is pretty excellent. You’ll also notice just how wide the video is compared to the HTC One video below. Pay attention to colors, brightness, and even audio levels.
HTC One 720p video capture
To be fair we recorded this on 720p as well, just like Glass, and right away you’ll notice the stability. Some image stabilization could help Glass, but it will only do so much. In general we’re all familiar with recording video through our phones, and as a result, the end product is clear, crisp, and not all over the place. The HTC One video capture handled the changing light outdoors better, and overall the colors and contrast we’re pretty even. You will however notice the audio capture on Glass wasn’t very good, and it was much clearer from the HTC One.
Last but not least the third video we wanted to toss in for good measure has the Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera capturing some moments with NVIDIA SHIELD, then it switches to Google Glass. This might be harder to follow, but we had our head and Glass on NVIDIA as they explained SHIELD, then our Olympus OM-D on the product. So each time you see SHIELD it’s through a dedicated camera, and the rest is shot with Google Glass.
While this last video isn’t quite something you can “compare” it does however show you another set of options and opportunity with Glass. Being able to record the same situation and demo simultaneously, without having 3 arms. There’s obviously advantages and disadvantages from each, but we wanted to give you the video and let you decide.
Does the loss of 1080p capture and slightly lower audio quality throw you off, or does the convenience and endless opportunity to record with Glass make it worth the trade off? You won’t all be recording with two devices, but what about the Father holding a child in one hand, yet still capturing his daughters soccer game at the same time? That is just one example, but a good one.
Okay, okay, just get a tripod and shoot video with that Olympus instead. Like we said, pros and cons. Since Glass isn’t evenly remotely close to being consumer ready, we won’t talk about price, but that will obviously be another factor later on. So what do you guys think about it. Does the opportunity and ease of recording with Glass give it a leg up on cameras and smartphones? Not to mention you can do it all by voice, or will you still opt for a dedicated camera? These are just a few small examples of the many, but we wanted to share it with you all. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
The NVIDIA Project Shield gaming system was one of the more interesting devices to surface at CES 2013. At the time, there wasn’t word on pricing or a release date. Today, NVIDIA started taking pre-orders for the hybrid handheld/TV gaming system, and revealed both a release date and a retail price.
Now officially known as just the NVIDIA Shield, the system is selling for $349(USD), and will ship in the US and Canada “by July 2013.” The system will include the handheld itself, a silver lid, AC adapter, USB cable, and two full games: Expendable: Rearmed and Sonic 4 Episode II THD. Additional accessories are also available for pre-order, including a carrying case for $39.99, and carbon fiber and black lids for $19.99 each.
For those of you who don’t recall exactly what the Shield can do, it’s a powerful Android-based gaming system that can play games on its own 720p touchscreen, or on your TV’s display. It can also stream games from your PC – though that feature will be in Beta at launch.
NVIDIA is limiting pre-orders for the Shield to four systems per person (presumably to cut down on grey-market reselling), and you can pre-order yours now over at the NVIDIA Store.
Remember NVIDIA’s kooky Project SHIELD tablet? The one it unveiled to an unsuspecting public at back CES? Well, it’s officially not just a “project” anymore — it’s a full-fledged product, and NVIDIA is aiming to get the SHIELD out the door this June complete with a $349 price tag.
To help manage demand for the curious gaming portable, NVIDIA is also preparing to take pre-orders. If you’ve been eagerly devouring what Shield details you could and have subscribed to the Shield newsletter, you’ll be able to lock down your unit starting today — the rest will have to wait until next Monday to get their pre-orders in.
To help manage demand for the curious gaming portable, NVIDIA is also preparing to take pre-orders. If you’ve been eagerly devouring what Shield details you could and have subscribed to the Shield newsletter, you’ll be able to lock down your unit starting today — the rest will have to wait until next Monday to get their pre-orders in.
In case you haven’t been keeping tabs on what the Shield has to offer, here’s a quick rundown on what to expect. The thing runs Android Jelly Bean MR1, and manages to cram NVIDIA’s speedy new Tegra 4 chipset, 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch multi-touch display running at 720p, 16GB of internal storage, and a microSD storage slot into a controller body that’s awfully reminiscent of the venerable Xbox 360 controller. Throw in the ability to stream certain PC games from a computer and you’ve got yourself a neat little gizmo.
The Shield is an ambitious little gadget, and the ability for players to stream PC games to the thing is sure to win it some fans, but is this thing really going to sell? Let’s just consider the price tag for a moment: selling the Shield at $349 means it’s more expensive than buying an XBox 360 or a PlayStation 3. Granted, those consoles will soon be superseded by a new batch of hardware from Microsoft and Sony, but I suspect people would still rather get one of those more traditional consoles than an ambitious niche device like the Shield.
That’s to say nothing of the fact that the Shield is a device meant for on-the-go gaming. These past few months have seen both Nintendo and Sony slash the prices of their respective handheld gaming consoles in an effort to life sales, maneuvers that seem to have succeeded for now. The market may not be ready for a $349 handheld, but that hasn’t stopped NVIDIA from trying — now we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
This week NVIDIA’s Project SHIELD was revealed all over again, this time renamed simply: SHIELD, arriving as both the company’s first handheld gaming device and hardware sold direct to end users, all at once. It is here that NVIDIA starts its journey in converging the worlds of mobile and desktop gaming with the Tegra 4 mobile processor on one end and GeForce graphics on the other. NVIDIA has announced today that SHIELD will not only be available in the US and Canadian markets starting in June, but that it’ll be up for pre-order (for some) starting today.
If you’ve been following email updates about Project SHIELD straight from NVIDIA before today, you’re in luck. Those signed up with the company as a gamer interested in the product as an early adopter will be given the first shot at the device.
A shot at ordering SHIELD as a pre-order, that is. The device itself will be the same, but these earliest pre-orders will be filled first – of that you can be sure.
Hardware
At the head of this device is the NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad-core A15 CPU with custom 72 code GeForce GPU. That’s a mouthful, and we’re certainly not going to try to explain the full ins and outs of it here. Instead you’ll want to head over to the SlashGear 101: NVIDIA Tegra 4 in detail post we’ve prepared for an occasion just like this. In short: it’s got so much graphics power it’ll be good to go for years to come.
SHIELD works with a 5-inch 720p multi-touch display which flips-up from its hardware controller body. In this shell-opening form-factor, this device allows the user a gaming experience only otherwise given in part by 3rd-party accessories attached to smartphones. With NVIDIA’s solution, the display is made specifically for this setup, while the controls, sound system, and form factor are all made with one final single product in mind.
With SHIELD, users will be working with integrated speakers – both a left and a right – along with two tuned ports for high-end bass response. Each time we’ve handled this machine thus far, the sound has been full and deep, with the ability to get loud enough that it’s necessary to pull the volume back. Don’t want to wake up the upstairs neighbors, after all.
NVIDIA has let it be known that the device has seen a few – not many, but some – changes between its reveal and its final form, that being the one we’re having another look at here today. The device has had a tiny bit of weight added since CES 2013 several months ago – welcome, in this case, as this adjustment allows the device to feel the correct amount of substantial in a user’s hands. The device remains largely plastic, but certainly looks and feels like a high-end product, as it should.
SHIELD will be available for a retail price of $349 USD right out of the gate. This price remains the same no matter how or through whom you’ll be ordering it. Orders will be done through NVIDIA’s own website and through NewEgg and Micro Center here in the USA. Canadian gamers will be able to pick the device up at Canada Computers as well.
Android / TegraZone Games
The device will be delivered with a couple games installed, NVIDIA’s own game portal TegraZone – and that’s it. This delivery essentially counts as a vanilla build of Android Jelly Bean, allowing users to work with as simple and recognizable – and customizable – an experience as possible.
Five new games have been promised for SHIELD and its high-powered processor backing up Android, each of them coming to Android here for the first time. Double Fine will be bringing the games Broken Age and Costume Quest. Broken Age is an epic fantasy tale set in the clouds with flying ships, computers, and oddities galore. Costume Quest is a game that’s appeared on Windows PCs, PlayStation 3, OS X, Linux, and the Xbox in the past, coming to Android for the first time here to show the power of NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 processor.
Above: SHIELD at CES 2013 hands-on with Android gaming (Hawken, specifically).
Flyhunter: Origins is a new Android game coming to SHIELD from the developers at Steel Wool Games. This game will deliver not only a strange miniature storyline, but high-class art as well – NVIDIA has specifically pointed out the lovely artistic abilities of the development group behind this game – bright and pretty!
Dedalord Games will be bringing Skiing Fred with a full free-movement system that will be entirely unique to SHIELD. Don’t get caught in the drift! Developers at Niffler will be bringing Chuck’s Challenge to life on SHIELD as a 3D puzzle game that allows users to create their own levels and share with friends.
Two high-powered Android games will be installed on the device out of the box: Sonic 4 Episode II and Expendable: Rearmed. We’ve had our own hands-on look at Sonic 4 Episode II back a few months ago in all its full super-speed glory while Expandable: Rearmed makes with the massive amounts of firepower.
PC Connectivity with GeForce game streaming / Steam
Valve has joined the party as well for this device’s PC connection. As SHIELD is made to bridge the gap between PC and mobile gaming on Android, Valve’s own Steam gaming experience will be in play. Though GeForce game streaming will be launching as a beta feature, we’ve seen it in action more than once, and it looks pretty rad.
Users will need their own compatible PC and a WiFi network they can connect with to make any and all desktop gaming a reality on SHIELD, Steam included. Once this connection is made, Steam’s Big Picture Mode is the user interface that SHIELD will use. With a healthy handful of PC games (20 games at first, we’re told) optimized and prepared for this cross-device compatibility at launch, user’s should have no problem finding a good title for which to game from their couch.
Controls for these games will be automatically fitted to SHIELD’s own, allowing gamers to, for example, break into Borderlands 2 the first time they open it with the device. This set of games is not a limit for the device, of course, as SHIELD’s controls are able to be fit to any game that’d otherwise be able to work with a controller connecting to your PC with, for example, a USB or Bluetooth connection.
Development
NVIDIA’s SHIELD device will have more details revealed over the next few weeks, and of course the GeForce game streaming bit of this amalgamation will see mighty changes in the near future, but the main bulk of the device and its features are here. This device is a market-ready machine, and in it we’ll be seeing the NVIDIA Tegra 4 in action out in the wild for the first time.
Have a peek at the brief timeline of SHIELD items we’ve collected in the recent past and hit SlashGear’s Tegra hub for more information on NVIDIA’s mobile universe. SlashGear’s Project SHIELD tag portal will also serve to give you an exploratory look at the demonstrations and details that have emerged prior to today, as well.
This week SHIELD has been re-introduced by NVIDIA as a product that will, in fact, be available for purchase by gamers in the United States and Canada – and along with it, accessories will be coming straight from the company. While in the past it’s been understood that NVIDIA makes graphics-intensive products that find their way into desktop computers, smartphones, tablets, and everything in-between, SHIELD starts the company’s first start-to-finish product. In other words, NVIDIA made it and NVIDIA is selling it straight to you.
With SHIELD, two accessories will be available straight from the get-go. The first of these is a Carrying Case that’s hard-packed around the edges to protect the device you’re carrying from any basic harm. This case is custom molded to SHIELD, has a lovely SHIELD name-plate, and is black with green accents.
This carrying case works with a USB port on its back so the user can keep SHIELD plugged in while the case is closed to power up whist on the go. This case also has a strap to hold at the gamers’ side. This case will be available for $39.99 USD in June when SHIELD launches.
Also coming at the same time SHIELD is available are a couple of custom lids. The top of SHIELD is a customizable, replaceable unit called a lid. Custom lids will be available for $19.99 each and, at launch, users will be able to grab a glossy black lid or a carbon fiber lid, these replacing the standard silver that comes with the device.
SHIELD itself has been detailed in its final form and prepared for pre-orders and the like this week along with its accessories. Right in the midst of Google I/O 2013, NVIDIA has revealed launch details along with a push specifically for those most interested in joining the SHIELD party in its first release wave.
NVIDIA has just announced that its Project SHIELD game console will officially be called NVIDIA Shield. That’s not a total surprise, but for those who liked the name will be glad to know that it will stay. More importantly, the […]
NVIDIA’s Project Shield now has an official name (NVIDIA Shield), a release window (“by the end of June”) and a price tag ($350). That’s a full $100 more than the PlayStation Vita — arguably the most competent competition for Shield’s hardcore skewing demographic — and even a smidgen over the cost of various full-on game consoles. Despite the high barrier to entry, NVIDIA tells us Shield will follow the same annualized model that its mobile phone counterparts do: a new internal upgrade each year to keep up with the times. And we already know what that future looks like. Given all that baggage, we can’t help but approach our last hands-on before launch with an eye toward whether or not this is a worthy purchase. Is NVIDIA’s Shield worth getting in on early?
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