Nvidia announced on Tuesday that the Wi-Fi only version of its Shield Tablet is now shipping for $299, along with the wireless game controller for $59 and the tablet cover for $39. The 4G LTE model will be released sometime soon.
For those who haven’t been keeping up with the Shield Tablet, it sports an 8-inch IPS screen with a 1920 x 1200 resolution with Nvidia’s quad-core Tegra K1 processor clocked at 2.2 GHz and 192 Kepler GPU cores. The tablet also features 2 GB of RAM and a battery that promises up to 10 hours of video playback.
The Shield Tablet also has a 5MP HDR camera on the front, a 5MP autofocus HDR camera on the back, dual-band Wireless N and Bluetooth 4.0 LE connectivity, and a DirectStylus 2 that can be stored in its own built-in holster. Other features include GPS and sensors such as gyro, compass, and g-sensor; mini HDMI 1.4 output; a microUSB 2.0 port; front-facing stereo speakers; and a 3.5 mm headphone jack with microphone support.
Nvidia boasts that the Shield Tablet is the world’s first Gamestream tablet, allowing owners to stream a growing list of PC games from a Kepler-based desktop PC. There are over 120 Gamestream-Ready PC titles, and customers can stream their compatible games from anywhere there’s a Wi-Fi or 4G LTE connection. The Shield Tablet is also the first Gamecasting tablet thanks to Nvidia’s Shadowplay feature, allowing customers to stream to Twitch. The tablet is even Ultra-HD ready.
As for the Shield Wireless controller, it connects to the tablet via Wi-Fi Direct, which provides two times lower latency than Bluetooth. The device also features a rechargeable Li-ion battery, a microUSB 2.0 port for wired gameplay or charging the controller, a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack with voice chat support, and all the standard controller buttons. The controller is compatible with the Shield Tablet and the original Nvidia Shield "Mobile” handheld unit.
When the 4G LTE model hits the market, it will be compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile networks. The tablet will also provide 32 GB of internal storage, whereas the Wi-Fi model only packs 16 GB of storage. Both units have a microSD card slot for adding up to 128 GB of additional capacity.
The 16 GB Wi-Fi model can be purchased directly from Nvidia as well as other retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Fry’s Electronics, GameStop, Micro Center, Newegg and Tiger Direct in the United States. In Canada, customers can purchase the device at Canada Computers, Memory Express, NCIX and ThinkGeek. The tablet will be made available in Europe soon.
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