In the ongoing war between the Xbox One and the Play Station 4, it’s very difficult for any other brand to step up and present a worthy adversary. However, Nvidia managed to find a way to exploit both of their weaknesses and released a product that doesn’t rely on raw processing power in order to play games or videos. The Nvidia Shield console is a relatively cheap device that’s known as the “world’s first Android TV console”.
Powered by a Tegra K1 processor and a Maxwell-based GPU, the console flaunts a 4K video output and is able to connect to the internet via an Ethernet jack or quick 802.11ac Wi-Fi. The product is also fully compatible with Harmony remote controls from Logitech. However, what makes it stand out among other consoles is the fact that it relies heavenly on streaming technology, meaning that most of the heavy lifting as far as processing power is concerned is done by Nvidia’s own supercomputers. Thanks to a cloud gaming service named Grid, the user is able to play games such as Darksiders or Batman: Arkham City without any issues, provided that they have a decent internet connection with a minimum download speed of 5 Mbps. For the best gaming experience, Nvidia suggests a 15 Mbps connection. With a price tag of just $199, the Nvidia Shield console is definitely something to keep an eye out for.
