If you're a hardcore gamer looking for a mobile, or couch-friendly solution, the Shield tablet has definite appeal. But the game streaming, free PC games via Grid, built-in Twitch support and ShadowPlay game recording are unique to the Shield. Granted, you can play today's most demanding Android games nicely on competing high end tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S that sells for $100 more but nets you an ever higher resolution Super AMOLED display and a slimmer, lighter design. Console mode lets you plug the tablet into your HD TV via the mini HDMI port, so you can use the TV as your gaming monitor (you must have a controller to enable this mode). In layman's terms, that means the tablet is the display, audio and controller interface to that big computer in the sky that's actually running the game. Grid computers in San Jose handle all the computational work and your tablet is a thin client. NVIDIA Grid means playing a selection of PC games for free. It's now a less geeky and tricky experience with good results on a solid WiFi network. Steam game streaming (actually the dreaded Origin is now supported too) has come a long way since we reviewed the Shield handheld. Heck, even the $59 wireless Shield controller has a mic. The non-K model includes a charger.Ĭlearly, Android games aren't the most interesting thing about the Shield: it's NVIDIA's own game streaming, Grid cloud gaming service and ever-ready Twitch support for the tablet's front-facing 5MP camera and mic. What's the catch? It ships without a charger so you'll have to use a USB cable and a computer to charge it (or a third party charger). NVIDIA added the Shield Tablet K, which is the same tablet for a cheaper price. The tablet has front and rear 5 megapixel cameras. It also supports wireless display, though the system is really set up for HDMI output while using WiFi for game streaming and the WiFi Direct Shield Wireless controller. It has a micro USB port for charging, data transfer and USB host (keyboards, mice, game controllers and flash drives) and a mini HDMI port. The back is fairly grippy matte polycarbonate, and the tablet has ample front-facing stereo speakers. The tablet is a bit heavier than the competition at 13.4 ounces, but it feels well made. In September NVIDIA will release a 32 gig model that adds unlocked pentaband 4G LTE. The passive DirectStylus 2 is included as one of the best capacitive styli on the market. Dual band WiFi 802.11b/g/n with MIMO and 2x2 streams should help game streaming quality, and the tablet has Bluetooth 4.0 LE, USB host via the micro USB charge/sync/host combo port, and GPS with GLONASS. It supports moving apps to SD cards (handy given how huge 3D games can be), though not all games support moving to cards. The tablet has 2 gigs of RAM, 16 gigs of internal storage and a microSD card slot that's compatible with cards up to 128 gigs. The NVIDIA Shield tablet has a 1920 x 1200 IPS display with 16:10 aspect ratio. That helps offset the pain of the $299 price for the 16 gig WiFi model: it's not "just" a portable gaming console. Anything you can do with an Android tablet, from email to web to watching movies and working on Office documents you can do with the Shield tablet. It runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat with very few UI customizations and it works with all Google Play apps including the app store. Nobody will stare if you take it out at work or on the train. The Shield tablet looks like an everyday tablet and despite its gaming prowess, is also a general purpose tablet. It was much bulkier than an Android smartphone and wasn't the sort of thing you could pull out at work without looking like you were definitely goofing off. The first Shield was an innovative but decidedly niche device: a gaming controller with a 5" display grafted on top and the Tegra 4 CPU (with fan!) crammed inside. In fact, the GPU surpasses the HD 4000 graphics in the first gen MS Surface Pro on some benchmarks. The 8" NVIDIA Shield tablet is portable enough to take with you, yet it packs more processing and graphics power than any other Android tablet on the market (save the Xiaomi MiPad with K1 that's not widely available in the US). In Chief (twitter: line of Shield Android gaming tablets has become much more promising with their first Shield tablet and the introduction of the K1 CPU with Kepler graphics. What's Not: Heavier than average, battery life when gaming is short. Very fast tablet, clean Android OS, nice full HD display, front-facing stereo speakers. What's Hot: Game streaming and Grid cloud gaming are great uniquely great fun and cutting edge. NVIDIA Shield Tablet Editor's rating (1-5):Ĭarrier: WiFi-only and unlocked LTE 4G GSM models Home > Android Tablet Reviews > NVIDIA SHield Tablet & Shield Wireless Controller Review
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