Nvidia has just taken the lid of its Project Shield Android games console at a pre-CES 2013 press conference.
Project Shield packs a number of high-end Android smartphone components into a game controller-like body, with a 5-inch touch-sensitive screen available to plug into the device.
As well as providing all the perks of an Android device (minus the 3G connectivity), Project Shield also allows you to stream games to it via a GeForce-equipped home PC. Nvidia even claims that it will add the possibility of then outputting this streamed game content to your TV – all without any wires.
“We imagined a device that would do for games what the iPod and Kindle have done for music and books, letting us play in a cool new way,” says Nvidia co-founder and chief executive Jen-Hsun Huang.
Nvidia Project Shield Specs
Project Shield will be powered by Nvidia’s latest Tegra 4 CPU – a quad-core processor with an all-new architecture. Nvidia claims that it boasts “six times the GPU horsepower of Tegra 3.”
Also included in the Xbox 360 controller-like body is a set of stereo speakers (which are reportedly twice as bassy as your average laptop), an HDMI out for hooking up to your TV, a microSD slot for memory expansion, a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as Wi-Fi capabilities.
The screen add-on is a 5-inch 720p touch-sensitive display with a pixel density of 294ppi.
Interestingly, Project Shield will run on an entirely unmodified or stock version of the Android OS – something very few manufacturers seem willing to do outside of the official Nexus partners.
Nvidia Project Shield Release Date and Price
Nvidia hasn’t announced any pricing details for Project Shield as yet, but it did reveal that it would be coming to North America in the second quarter of 2013.
Are you interested in this curious new Android/PC controller hybrid? Does Nvidia’s Project Shield appeal to you more than that other Android console, Ouya? Let us know in the comments box below, or via the Trusted Reviews Twitter and Facebook feeds.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
