NVIDIA SHIELD REVIEW Comment Thread

[SKYMTL]

NVIDIA's SHIELD has been teased for months and now launch has finally arrived. Is it everything NVIDIA promised? Can it break out of its predetermined Android mold? You bet!

Read more here: http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru.../62422-nvidia-shield-review-android-more.html

:thumb:

 

[ET3D]

Thanks for the review. It's interesting that reviewers are pretty enthusiastic about the Shield even though most people don't understand up front who the target audience of it is.

Personally I find the concept pretty appealing, but unfortunately I'd have to buy both an NVIDIA card and (I think) a suitable router.

 

[SKYMTL]

Believe it or not, I'm pretty excited about this thing because of what it represents rather than what it can currently do. I find PC gaming is suffering because it isn't accessible. Like I said: to many people PC gaming typically involves going into a computer room instead of kicking back on a couch. SHIELD allows for the best of both worlds without the need for a dedicated HTPC.

 

[ET3D]

I think that the Shield is an overkill for TV gaming. If I want to stream PC games to a TV I'd rather pay $100 for an Ouya or GameStick style device, with weaker hardware and no screen.

I do think that the PC's future for gaming is as a server. Imagine being able to take advantage of all these CPU cores and SLI setup by streaming games to multiple devices in the house and possibly outside it.

 

[SKYMTL]

I don't think Ouya can stream PC games currently. I know there were some demos but it lacks a sufficient wireless backbone for continual HD streaming.

Gamestick is pretty much in the same boat since it is an Android-only device for the time being and it can't stream from external consoles / PCs.

 

[ET3D]

I'm not saying that these devices can do it, just that this is what a game streaming device should be like. Shield may be the only device which can currently stream PC games robustly, but it's still a serious overkill for that.

 

[SKYMTL]

Maybe...but maybe not. Even for streaming 1080P + 5.1 videos, you need a seriously robust wireless backbone. That's where the SHIELD's MIMO module comes in handy since it can optimize network traffic.

What I'm saying is that an all-in-one device like this hasn't existed yet.

 

[ET3D]

But wireless is pretty much what's needed. You don't need a powerful CPU or GPU, lots of RAM or storage space.

The Shield is not even the most convenient form factor. A device which is permanently hooked to a TV and has a wireless controller would be better than the Shield, since its controller will wiegh less and there wont be need for a cable from the controller.

 

[Caldezar]

I'm definitely going to pick one up. (Although I'll probably wait until the streaming bugs are a bit more ironed out.) Basically, this is the perfect device for streaming PC games while lounging around the house. Not to mention, the ability to turn it in to a portable emulator box via Android is extremely enticing. Playing old NES/SNES games on a phone/tablet sucks, and I'm not a huge fan of the DS. So having another mobile device with a console controller, and one running Android to boot, is always welcome.

 

[Arinoth]

Interesting review, I see someone really doesn't like zombies?