Author Topic: Nvidia launches Shield, new gaming device at CES (Read 8647 times)

Preston786 · « **on:** January 07, 2013, 02:18:35 AM »

Who says you can't teach an old chipmaker new tricks? Not Nvidia. At CES, the company announced its own gaming device, Shield, which will bear its brand name as well as its quad-core Tegra 4 processor.

Shield looks like a portable Xbox controller with a screen. It's got analog joysticks, buttons, and controllers. Shield promises between 5 and 10 hours of gameplay.

"It's pure Android," says Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. There's nothing proprietary about it; all jacks are standard and the platform is open. It comes with a microSD card slot.

The move from making chipsets to assembling the hardware that houses them is a bold one for Nvidia, which traditionally partners with device-makers to power their mobile and desktop computing hardware.

Becoming a hardware manufacturer in addition to creating processors would give Nvidia another revenue stream, as well as greater latitude in device designs that house their chips.

Though a surprising move, Nvidia does have some experience speccing out and creating devices. The company currently builds reference models that they then actively pitch to hardware partners, like Asus and Acer, for instance.

Most recently, Nvidia partnered with Leyden Energy to provide a longer-lasting battery for a tablet reference design.

Nvidia isn't showing off its new tablet tonight, but CNET tablet reviewer Eric Franklin will get photos, video, and first impressions as soon as possible.

Source

Carigamers · « **on:** January 07, 2013, 02:18:35 AM »

Spazosaurus · « **Reply #1 on:** January 07, 2013, 07:37:14 AM »

U beat me to it. Android is BLOWING UP in the gaming industry. Great things will happen in 2013.

I'd love to get some more details on the "ÿour pc untethered" bit. Is assasins being rendered on that device or on the pc and just being streamed through the Shield?

TriniXaeno · « **Reply #2 on:** January 07, 2013, 10:39:16 AM »

wow

+5

Epic news is epic

(where messiaah?)

Android to the world!

Little confused by this part

Quote

Shield can connect to the cloud to play Android games, TegraZone games, and PC games for PCs with compatible GeForce graphics cards. It also supports multiplayer mode.

I guess that is along the lines as your question Awesome. Is it some sort of streaming?

TriniXaeno · « **Reply #3 on:** January 07, 2013, 10:49:16 AM »

All my questions were answered here:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1738277

Seems yes, it is streaming from a PC.

This is almost a Wii U take on PC gaming, with shield being the equivalent of the Wii U tablet controller and your PC acting as the Wii U console itself.

Rather than replacing your gaming rig, this little puppy compliments it. Acts as a controller and allows you to take the experience to your big screen tv in the living room (or the small screen attached to the gamepad itself)

Very interesting.

Very techie.

Not to mention, all your android titles get taken along for the ride.

http://shield.nvidia.com/

More blow by blow details here:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6548/nvidia-ces-2013-press-event-live-blog

MessiaaH · « **Reply #4 on:** January 07, 2013, 07:29:08 PM »

Messiaah is here,

as a portable console it dead before it start, Sony vita anyone?

as a wii-like controller for d PC I can see myself buying one.
especially if it can be hacked to show an xbmc touch menu on d device to act as an all in one remote. (currently using my phone to do this)

So that's my take on it, still doesn't change my opinion of android gaming, or its technological prowess when compared to PC gaming, still no where close sorry.

But I can always use another "PC" peripheral , carry on...

Carigamers · « **Reply #4 on:** January 07, 2013, 07:29:08 PM »

TriniXaeno · « **Reply #5 on:** January 07, 2013, 07:55:07 PM »

This bridges the gap very nicely.

It uses the power of the PC, while also bringing Android into the home as a full fledged gaming platform.

Best of both worlds.

As mobile tech continues to improve, so will the next iteration of this device (and devices like it...see Ouya)

Wanted big names pushing Android into the gaming market? Try Nvidia on for size.

Preston786 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 07, 2013, 08:34:59 PM »

This shield is very interesting and Nvidia was smart to leave it open which would mean free development for them (once good developers think it worthwhile) the open endedness is also the principle android is built on and is a great idea for manufacturers as their source can be modified by you or me..... only this leaves the question of security flaws e.g. the ones with the Samsung Galaxy line (dunno if they patched it but there wasn't much discussion of it primarily a major flaw in some part of Play Store implementation on the S3 with regards to how it stored transaction info and third party app access to it... will have to look for it)

BUT I really see this as a novelty to me personally or just pure laziness if you're in your house using this i mean just get up and walk to the pc

....If however you can use it remotely thru a secure vpn to stream your full fledged pc game on the go... well... sorry AMD but I will be returning to the green monster in the near future......

TriniXaeno · « **Reply #7 on:** January 07, 2013, 09:25:49 PM »

Well this is the thing.

I have been faced with the very problem that this device solves.

Got my beastly gaming rig up in the bedroom. Spec'd to high heaven. It is attached to a lowly 26" LCD

In the living room, lives my under powered linux (Ubuntu) HTPC. Connected to the big screen TV.Sure, it can do movies well enough but it can't run the latest and greatest games at 1920x1080.

The solutions?

A ) Bring the gaming rig into the living room and hook it up to the big screen permanently.

Problem with that is now I have to contend with all the other family members, watching cartoons, news, everybody loves raymond, etc...

I no longer have my man cave gaming station in the bedroom.

B ) Upgrade the HTPC to a gaming power house

Problem with that is, I now have to maintain and upgrade two high end PCs with a Windows OS. Costly. Not to mention the impact on the light bill.

Enter Option C )

Buy the Nvidia Shield and just stream the HD gaming goodness to my big screen in the living room from the gaming rig.

I have never been an advocate of any sort of streaming solution for high end graphics. Especially not over wireless but if anyone can get it right, Nvidia can.

Preston786 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 07, 2013, 11:01:14 PM »

oh yea well in that case i could understand the use of it for that purpose they should make a cheaper one with no screen so the interface will show up on the tv when u plug it in and power it up

Arcmanov · « **Reply #9 on:** January 07, 2013, 11:41:23 PM »

Beautiful concept....but ultimately quite unnecessary, for me at least.

Quote

But where does this thing belong in the world? It's probably not going to replace anything you already own—your gaming computer, your phone, your tablet, or your console. And yet it's massively impressive.

With all the tech I already own, I'd be hard-pressed to find a place to fit this in where I'd use it all the time.

Still, kudos to Nvidia for giving it the ol' college try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

TriniXaeno · « **Reply #10 on:** January 08, 2013, 01:59:42 AM »

Precisely.

It is like a proof of concept.

Once it works, it could change the way future Techies setup their living/gaming spaces.

As well as those of their loved ones.

Very much a techie device though. I can't see John Public picking up a device like this.

MessiaaH · « **Reply #11 on:** January 08, 2013, 02:21:53 AM »

I think they should leave out d mobile gaming aspect and just make a thin tablet like controller exactly like the woo I but better and works with PC, to stream games, with a variety of software applications, I.e. Xbmc remote, winamp, jriver, browser, etc etc etc. Mouse,keyboard support d works. And I know smartphones can currently do this, but having a decide onhand anyone could use, that's always connected, always on, with fast access to everything, wud definitely be something I'd get. Nintendo thought of it first, I hope this idea evolves into a purer remote/controller form and drop d whole mobile gaming failure aspect. Which wud also make it alot cheaper and attainable by the masses.

TriniXaeno · « **Reply #12 on:** January 08, 2013, 04:12:39 AM »

You can't leave out the mobile gaming man.

The lamest tablet would have gaming features. So that point is moot.

And you're right, you can already do that with an android tablet. Feel free to buy one and leave it in the living room as a dedicated remote. lol

A nexus 7 or so.

Either way, the open approach should hopefully mean that this technology will make its way into other android devices. One may come configured just the way you like.

MessiaaH · « **Reply #13 on:** January 08, 2013, 09:51:33 AM »

Yes you can definitely leave out mobile game, yes the lamest tablet have it, but i dont want a tablet.
I basically want the Wii-U controller for PC, thats all.
I dont want any processing in the unit, i just basically want a dumb screen that can accept streams from my pc via wifi. So weather its streaming games, movies, applications, control interfaces, etc. Which is exactly what the wii-u controller does but restricted to only nintendo console.

I want a device that is as essential as your keyboard or mouse, a 50-100$ device, that anyone can buy, that can do all that i mentioned.

An android device cannot currently do all that i mention. And a capable device to do some of it would be more expensive than a Wii-U like pc controller done right. And there is d concern of battery life. Android tablet would have to be charged constantly. A controller done right wont necessarily have to be. Or just build some kinda dock that could be on your cofee table to just rest it when u not using it. Like the logitech harmony docks. Add infra-red to that bad boy, and u have an All-In-One remote of the future.

Nintendo open up alot of ideas and alot of things i can do with a device like that if it were released for the pc, and Whether its open, or locked down with api, once devs have access to make things happen on it is GG.

I see this nvidia sheild as 2 steps forward, 1 step backward in that direction. The mobile gaming part being the 1 step backward, because it would make the device prohibitively expensive for the regular joe to pick up, thus killing the product before it even start.

heres to hoping they change they mind and do it right, or some other company pickup my dream device and run with it, hell maybe integrate kinect voice features in it and call it an xbox/pc accessory i doh care. I just want the functionality.

And sorry to say, but as a mobile gaming solution, that thing rel fail, nobody leaving they house with that monstrosity. And if u home, why not just stream higher quality games from yuh main rig. And u always have ur phone/tablet for the rest.

TriniXaeno · « **Reply #14 on:** January 08, 2013, 01:57:53 PM »

I don't understand why you're pigeon holing the device of your dreams like that...but its your dream. So knock yourself out. lol

In the spirit of convergence (and the one ring) I say bring on the "We can do it all" android devices of the future.

I can already imagine Nvidia Shield as an app in the google store for droids of 2013

Just as Smart Glass is an app you can download today.

MessiaaH · « **Reply #15 on:** January 08, 2013, 03:03:20 PM »

If it's an app then great, but how is that different from apps right now?

Everything i want i can currently do using a variety of apps sans hd game streaming.
And being an app u re-introduce all the limiting factors of having to use a full fledged phone/tablet to perform said functions in the living room. Hence shield being a hardware device and not an app......

Everybody is not Nintendo, it took sony and xbox a while to catch up to that innovation, and even with superior tech, ps move fail like nobody's business lol. Kinect made some strides doh, but still nonexistent for hardcore. Wii controller for skyward sword on the other hand....simply brilliant.

My concern with shield is this: banking on being a mobile gaming platform isnt going to get you anywhere but the gutter. A for effort, but as the market has shown with ps vita, nobody want that.

Spend your engineering dollars into something that make more sense.

Its a great idea, but it's fundamentally flawed trying to appeal to the mobile gaming community, minus that and then nviddia would be onto something. (Something already realized by nintendo).

TriniXaeno · « **Reply #16 on:** January 08, 2013, 06:16:54 PM »

The hardware will still exist but the app gives you greater flexibility.

Like Kindle (the physical reader) and Kindle (the app you can download and use on any device)

Come come, broaden your horizons a little Messiaah. Both options can exist just fine.

Win win.

Imagine what it would do for Nvidia sales. I'll easily say 90% of techies out there will go for Android smart phones. Who wouldn't want that cool Nvidia Shield app on their android to do all sorts of fancy stuff with their gaming rig on their big screen TV?

That could mean a nice sales bump for Nvidia if ATI doesn't come out with a competing solution. Even if it just has gimmick appeal. Men will go green. Buying Nvidia cards just to have that option.

I know I will

MessiaaH · « **Reply #17 on:** January 08, 2013, 08:31:26 PM »

Yuh trying to defend the nvidia sheild hardware technology by saying how great an app will be? Really?

But yes an app will be great not denying that, but my opinion of Shield in it's current form is the same.
Already highlighted what fail about it. Mobile gaming. No need to constantly repeat that point.

TriniXaeno · « **Reply #18 on:** January 08, 2013, 09:06:49 PM »

Exactly! Think beyond.

Let the mind roam a little. See where this could go.

Exciting times (Powered by Android TM)

The price point will be very interesting.

If this can go toe to toe with a Nexus 7 ($199) I'll be sold.

If its a $499 kind of deal, that will be a different story.

Won't mind having an epic android device in the living room that can run some games, has a built in proper gamepad and can also stream my high end gaming machine to the TV.

Price has to be right though. Any reveal in regards to that as yet?

mouie · « **Reply #19 on:** January 15, 2013, 08:27:27 PM »

This system looks good.

Carigamers · « **Reply #19 on:** January 15, 2013, 08:27:27 PM »

Author Topic: Nvidia launches Shield, new gaming device at CES (Read 8647 times)

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