OPINION: I have to admit, I was very sceptical about the idea of a streaming stick in the modern era before using the Nvidia Shield TV.
The main benefit of a streaming stick is to enable you to access apps such as Netflix, Apple TV and Disney Plus, but the majority of televisions are already smart enough to do that independently. So what’s the point?
But then I had the genius idea of linking up the Nvidia Shield TV with my bedroom monitor. Now I can watch The Simpsons from the comfort of my bed by simply tapping a few buttons on a remote. For that alone the Nvidia Shield TV is worth the outlay.
The Shield TV supports 4K HDR, as well as Dolby Vision, allowing you to get the absolute best picture and sound quality if your display is up to the task.
It’s even capable of upscaling standard HD videos to a 4K resolution – this feature is admittedly hit and miss, but it’s still a very useful feature if you’ve got an Ultra HD TV and want to give older films and TV shows a visual boost.
But the killer app is its gaming credentials. The Shield TV can play Android games natively, or use Nvidia GameStream to access your PC library even if your gaming PC is in another room.
Better still, the Nvidia Shield TV supports GeForce Now, which enables you to play select games via the cloud. This means you can play the likes of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, CyberPunk and Fortnite even if you don’t own a gaming PC – you’ll need to purchase the games first, but you can start streaming for free if you are happy with a basic performance.
You can even download the Google Stadia app on Shield TV if you’d rather use Google’s cloud-streaming offering. There’s sadly no Xbox Game Pass app, but I’ve got my fingers crossed that will change in the future.
I reviewed the Shield TV back in October 2019 and gave it a 4.5 out of 5 rating. Back then, you’d have to spend as much as £149 to bag it, but it’s seen a recent price cut which means you can get it for just £109.98 right now.
It’s still not the cheapest Christmas present in the world, but if you want to watch your favourite streaming apps on your monitor, or you want to access GeForce Now on your massive TV, then it’s comfortably worth splashing out for.
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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.
