Nvidia made quite a splash when it announced its Shield portable gaming system at CES 2013. At E3 2013, I interviewed James Wang from Nvidia product marketing to get more details on the system and got some hands-on time with the console. Shield will be the first Tegra 4 device on the market, according to the company. Nvidia’s latest and greatest mobile chip should take mobile gaming to the next level. In addition to being able to run Android games, Shield allows gamers to stream PC games (GeForce GTX 650 or higher required). Of course it runs non-gaming apps as well, which is handy for people that want to update their Facebook status with one of the most menacing Android devices ever created.
Shield sports a solid gamepad that will feel familiar to most gamers. The buttons and sticks are solid, but I needed a few minutes to get used to the flat feel of the system. It was very much a mental thing on my part; I know that portable gaming systems are supposed to be flat, but Shield’s shape and color scheme reminded me of Xbox 360 so I was thinking curves. Of course I need to spend more time with the controller and use it with a variety of games before I can judge it, but my initial feeling was like, not love.
While Shield has a lot of power and a lot of features, it also has a lot of competitors — traditional handheld systems, Android phones and tablets, and several other Android-based consoles. It’s certainly unique, but I’m not sure what the demand will be for a $349 portable Android gaming system. That’s where you come in! As always, I want to hear your thoughts on Nvidia Shield, now that you have more info on it and have seen more footage of the system. Share your feelings like a Care Bear in the comments section when you have a chance (please).
Believe in The Shield
There are no compelling IP for this thing and it costs more than a Vita or 3DS. I’m confused at what their strategy is.
The Nvidia Shield is awesome!