Nvidia Announces New Shield Ship Date
Nvidia's Shield handheld is shipping at the end of the month.
Nvidia's Jason Paul reported on Sunday that the company's delayed Android gaming handheld Shield is now in full production and will begin shipping on July 31. The console was originally slated to arrive on June 27, but was pushed back a month due to what the company called a "third-party mechanical component". Nvidia said it would ship in July, but did not provide an exact date.
"Last month, we made the difficult decision to delay the launch of Shield due to a mechanical issue we found in our rigorous testing process," Paul said. "Since then we have been working non-stop to put Shield through its paces and ensure it meets the highest quality control standards in the industry."
He also said that Shield Experience Centers will be established in select Gamestop, MicroCenter and MicroCenter and Canada Computers brick-and-mortar locations in the U.S. and Canada so that gamers can get a hands-on taste of the Android device. Order now through a Shield Experience Center or online, and customers will get a limited-edition Shield t-shirt, while supplies last.
Unfortunately, these Experience Centers are limited in number. On the east coast, there are a total of seven so far spanning GameStop and MicroCenter. On the west coast, there are only six, all residing at GameStop. Eight additional locations are spread out across central America and at three locations in Canada. Exact locations are listed here.
In mid-June Nvidia reduced Shield's retail price point, dropping the cost from $349 down to $299. Paul said the new price is in response to feedback the company received from gamers and the press who have fondled the device since it was first introduced back at CES 2013 in January.
"Feedback from gamers is why Shield’s triggers have the perfect throw length. Why Shield’s buttons have just the right amount of give. Why Shield’s thumb sticks are so satisfying to flick. Why playing games on Shield’s pure Android software feels so slick," said Paul.
Shield is essentially a 5-inch 720p flip-up tablet crammed into a game controller sporting a Tegra 4 SoC, dual-band Wireless N connectivity, 16 GB of internal storage, 2 GB of RAM, Bluetooth 3.0, mini-HDMI output, integrated speakers and more. It's the second in a string of Android consoles launching in 2013, and follows the OUYA which, unlike Shield's pure Android "Jelly Bean" and support for Google Play, has a custom Android-based interface and doesn't support Google Play purchases.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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drwho1 Already have a PC for gaming and "stuff" plus a gaming console.Reply
Not ever interested on hand held game systems.
Nvidia should concentrate in graphic cards. -
g-unit1111 Reply11206752 said:meh. is anyone excited for this?
I'm not. It looks like an Android tablet with an XBOX controller attached to it. -
aicom I'm excited for this because it's the first Tegra 4 device. I want to see the numbers that 4 A15s at 1.9 GHz can put up in benchmarks.Reply -
mman74 Forgive me for sounding like a downer, but I really can't see the point of this. The vast majority of android games that I play require the touch screen interface. The games that require controllers like FPSes are anaemic compared to their desktop/console counterparts.Reply
But they'll say if I'm at home I could have the benefit of playing PC games in places like the crapper. If I'm at home I'll be playing games on the PC or console! My piles are bad enough already thanks.
The focus should have been putting a SOC in the device with real power and then bringing developers on board to make games that I really want to play with the controller. -
Shaun o I think if I had a spare $299 it would be going towards a PS4, or an Xbox One if you already have an android device of some sort.Reply
I suspect many who read this are also.
And would rather wait and bypass the shield with this in mind.
I don`t think it will be a big success for Nvidia, it`s a bit late in the day considering the amount of android devices currently in the market. At $299 it`s going to struggle to sell in large numbers. -
gsxrme I think tegra4 is awesome. Makes the snapdragon look slow for gaming but matcats box is a much better fit. Wireless control, box that connects via hdmi to your tv using tegra4. Nvidia fail madcat fixed.Reply -
vaughn2k I guess this is good when you want to sit on a comfy chair, in front of an overlooking nice view of nature-filled - pleasantly catching the great morning sunlight while playing games, but then again, I need to have breakfast at the same time, sounds cool... but I am speculating here.. no way you can simulate an outcome when using this.. Let's see where this device will get through...Reply