Nvidia Shield Adds Multiplayer Support, More Titles

Nvidia added more features and games to the Shield ecosystem in preparation for the May release of the Nvidia Shield home console.

The Shield Hub application has been updated to bring multi-controller support to some games in the GRID library. Two of the games, Street Fighter X Tekken and Ultra Street Fighter 4, support up to four players. The games with multiplayer support include:

All Lego titlesGiana Sisters: Twisted DreamsGRID 2PixelJunk Monster UltimatePixelJunk ShooterStreet Fighter X TekkenUltra Street Fighter 4

Although the ability to play multiplayer between various Shield devices has existed for some time, the ability to play multiplayer games on a single Nvidia Shield tablet or Nvidia Shield portable is questionable, given the limited screen size and the fact that these devices were built for portability. Nvidia recommends that users connect these devices to external displays for a more ideal experience.

The Nvidia Shield home console, however, is intended for connecting to a TV or display and will compete with other home consoles. Having that multiplayer support helps the Shield compete with other game consoles.

In addition to the multiplayer feature, Nvidia announced the next three games coming to the Nvidia GRID library. Today, Nvidia added Dead Rising 2 which will be followed by Devil May Cry 4 next week, and Risen 2: Dark Waters will be added April 14. With these three additions, the GRID library will include 46 games.

Current users of the GRID network should note that free access will be ending soon. After June 30, users who wish to continue using the GRID network will need to pay for access, but Nvidia has yet to state how much this service will cost.

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Michael Justin Allen Sexton is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He covers hardware component news, specializing in CPUs and motherboards.