NVIDIA just pulled its reference design for Tegra 4-based tablets out from behind glass for the first time at CES on our very own stage. This isn’t the first Tegra 4 machine we’ve seen, but the reference design caries a lot of weight (or in this case weighs next to nothing) when it comes to how other build their own Android tablets. If you head on after the break you’ll find one more image and we’ll be back soon with a full-fledged hands-on.
We’re spending the week celebrating the latest and greatest gadgets, but sometimes you’ve got to sit down and talk about precisely what makes them run. Thankfully, we’ll be joined by Matt Wuebbling, NVIDIA’s director of product market, to talk about the role his company is playing in helping shape this latest generation of devices — and to show us some of NVIDIA’s work in action.
If we were to list the companies that have enjoyed a really, really big CES 2013, NVIDIA would probably rank toward the top. Not only did the company announce new and interesting things like GeForce Experience and NVIDIA GRID, but it also unleashed the Tegra 4 mobile processor on the world and introduced us to Project SHIELD, a new Android-based gaming console of sorts that has everyone talking.
We were there reporting on it live as it all unfolded before our eyes, but if you’d like to experience the whole thing for yourself, then you’ll be pleased to know that fine folks at NVIDIA have popped it up online for everyone to watch. If you’re a fan of NVIDIA or even gaming in general, this might be a good press conference to check out, as NVIDIA has a lot of cool things coming down the the pipeline. Of course, you’re bound to see a stumble or two during the conference as well, so there’s another reason for you to watch.
NVIDIA has put the entire press conference up on Twitch.tv, so head over there if you’d like to give it a watch. At one hour and 48 minutes long, though, it’s certainly one of the more lengthy conferences we’ve seen here at CES, so you might want to make some popcorn or put on your comfy pants before firing this one up. At any rate, get ready to watch a number of very exciting announcements.
We’ll hopefully be getting our hands on some of these new NVIDIA products and services really soon, at which time we’ll be able to better judge the claims NVIDIA made throughout its press conference. We’ll be able to take a much more in-depth look later on, but for now, be sure to have a look at our hands-on with the Project SHIELD to see some early impressions. All of news from the show can also be found at our CES portal, so stop by there while you’re at it!
Assuming you’ve already caught up on Samsung’s press event from yesterday, now may be a good time to see what NVIDIA unveiled at CES 2013 from the comfort of your own home, office or any other internet-connect place you might be. Naturally, you’ll catch a glimpse of all of NVIDIA’s unveilings, including that shiny new Tegra 4 processor and the company’s Project Shield gaming console. Surely there will be a few more for you to watch in the coming days, so head over to the source link below to catch the chip maker’s event in its entirety and scratch that one off your list of things to watch.
On Sunday evening, we reported that NVIDIA had launched Tegra 4, its next-generation quad-core chip with four ARM Cortex A15 CPUs, and a new massive GPU. At the same time, the company has announced the NVIDIA Shield, a “pure Android” portable gaming device that is designed to bring a unique mobile gaming experience. Shield has been built as a great game controller which happens to host one of the fastest next-gen mobile chip along with a 720p screen. Shield is obviously capable of running Android games like nothing else can, but that’s not it: using technology specific to NVIDIA, Shield can also stream games from a nearby PC and effectively brings “PC gaming” into your hands. I’ve spent some private time with the device here at CES, and here are my first impressions. (more…)
NVIDIA and Audi have been building high-end infotainment systems for sometime, but until now, the best of the team’s efforts have only been available to European drivers. Not anymore — NVIDIA announced today that Audi’s latest Tegra-based MIB high-end is ready to hit the road, and is due to arrive in major markets in Asia, the US and Canada by 2014. The system uses a variety of technologies to offer drivers live updates from Google Earth real-time updates on gas prices and even weather forecasts.
Audi says it’s planning to bring the MIB systems to all of it’s new vehicles, and is also pimping the tech out to other brands, such as Volkswagen and Skoda. The company didn’t specify which Tegra chip would be making the international tour, but NVIDIA general manager Taner Ozcelik suggests that upgrading the system to the company’s latest is a relatively smooth process. “NVIDIA’s modular VCM approach lets companies like Audi quickly move from a Tegra 2 processor, to a Tegra 3 and beyond.” Read on for the company’s official press release.
Nvidia’s Project Shield is a curious little device, attempting to toss its hat into a bunch of rings at once. It’s taking shots at handheld gaming, console gaming, tablets, and phones. For the most part, it’s holding under the strain, but it’s hard to imagine going out of your way to use it versus any of those things it’s trying to replace. It’s definitely passable and frequently good at emulating PC and console gaming, but it’s just a little too busy to be a perfect copy. More »
NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 powered handheld looks a lot like a typical game console, but it isn’t. You could say that its operating system sets it apart, or its knack for streaming PC games, but that’s not it — it’s that Shield won’t be sold at a loss. Although many consumer game devices eventually turn a profit, they often hit the market as a loss leader, herding gamers into a closed ecosystem and securing a revenue stream for the manufacturer — every Nintendo, Xbox or PlayStation game made funnels a small licensing fee to the owner of the platform. NVIDIA, on the other hand, isn’t a game company, it’s a hardware manufacturer. “We’ll make our money by selling the device to gamers,” NVIDIA stated on the company blog, explaining how Sony and Nintendo do business. “This time-honored approach isn’t one we’re taking with Project Shield… …our goal with it is to design and sell a truly great piece of hardware, one that fits comfortably in your hand, delights your eyes and blows out your ears.” NVIDIA’s still dancing around the subject of price, of course, but the message is clear: Shield is probably going to hit your pocketbook more like a tablet than a portable games console.
NVIDIA’s Project SHIELD won’t rely on premium games or locked-down ecosystems to offset hardware costs, unlike traditional consoles, with the company instead looking to free-to-play titles already proliferating on Android. “We’ll make our money by selling the device to gamers” senior vice president of content and technology Tony Tamasi said today, contrasting NVIDIA’s approach with that of printer ink merchants.
“The business model that stems from [selling direct] means we’ll make our money by selling the device to gamers. (And we hope, by the way, that they’ll love it.)” Tamasi said. “This differs from the razors-and-razor blades approach, which isn’t just used by Gillette and Schick. Printer-companies use it, as well, making money from highly profitable ink. So do game-console companies, who primarily make their profit from premium games. This time-honored approach isn’t the one we’re taking with Project SHIELD.”
NVIDIA Project SHIELD hands-on:
Android games are often free-to-play, supported either with in-app advertising or purchases. As Tamasi also points out, gamers will be able to stream their desktop titles to Project SHIELD. “We want to help game developers keep you happily entertained with the magic that they dream up” the NVIDIA exec concludes. “We’re not looking to create a walled garden of software, even if it sprouts some gorgeous games.”
From our early play with Project SHIELD that streaming process works well – assuming you have sufficient bandwidth. NVIDIA showed us Call of Duty: Black Ops II from a GeForce-equipped PC, which streamed smoothly, albeit in the same room and over 802.11n 2×2 MIMO WiFi.
Avoiding the hassle of creating an ecosystem of its own is a solid approach; even Sony, with its legacy PlayStation titles, has struggled to gain traction with the PlayStation Store on Android. NVIDIA also has its existing TegraZone brand, which corrals together third-party titles particularly fettled to suit the company’s Tegra chipsets, which it can leverage on Project SHIELD.
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.
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