Nvidia has finally unwrapped it’s latest Tegra-base gaming tablet dubbed ‘SHIELD’. This gamer-oriented 8-inch beastly tablet boasts some impressive specs under the hood, it sports Nvidia’s mobile flagship Tegra K1 SoC (Quad core A15 variant) coupled with one on-die Kepler SMX which delivers unparalleled ‘desktop-grade’ graphics.
The Nvidia SHIELD is a tablet like no other, it’s in fact far from being the average tablet you’d find at your usual store. Nvidia’s latest offering comes with some new technologies and features compared to its predecessor, notably the inclusion of a stylus marketed as ‘DirectStylus 2′ backed by the DirectStylus software processing demoed last year. Nvidia also bundled superb features like a virtual-painter software called NVIDIA Dabbler which aims to provide high levels of fidelity.
With it’s 8-inch 1080p ISP display packing a resolution of 1920 x 1200 the Nvidia SHIELD promises to deliver a more than decent midrange tablet experience. Underneath there’s four Cortex- A15 cores clocking in at 2.2GHz, one Kepler SMX (192 shader processors, 8 TMUs and 4 ROPs), 2GB of RAM (DDR3L-1866), 16 or 32GB of internal storage (expandable via MicroSD) and a 5197 mAh battery.
Connectivity features include WiFi 2×2 802.11a/b/g/n, GPS/GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0 and mini HDMI 1.4a, there’s also a pair of 5MP cameras and front-facing stereo speakers. The 8-incher is also compatible with a new Shield wireless controller and the same game-streaming capability.
A mostly stock Android 4.4.2 runs the show, Nvidia promised to deliver timely updates. The GPU will support all major APIs, that includes OpenGL 4.4, OpenGL ES3.1 and CUDA 6.0.
The Nvidia SHIELD will sport a couple of games out of the box such as Anomaly HD, Trine 2 and Pure ChessAs usual, Nvidia will also be working with several game developers to build Tegra-optimized versions of their games. So far Half-Life 2, Portal, War Thunder, The Talos Principle and others are confirmed to be coming later to the NVIDIA Shield Hub.
The 32GB LTE model will cost $399 while the 16GB variant will be priced at $299. The gamepad and cover will be sold separately for $59 and $39 respectively. The Nvidia SHEILD will be available on July 29th in US and Canada, August 14th for Europe and later this year in other regions.
via Nvidia
Show Press Release (880 More Words)
SANTA CLARA, Calif.—July 22, 2014—NVIDIA today launched the newest members of the NVIDIA® SHIELD™ family — the SHIELD tablet and the SHIELD wireless controller. Designed and built by NVIDIA, SHIELD Tablet is the ultimate tablet for gamers, delivering unparalleled gaming performance made possible by the world’s most powerful mobile processor, the NVIDIA Tegra® K1, and frequent software updates that bring new features and improved performance.
The SHIELD tablet is built for gaming, featuring a bright, 8-inch, full HD display, booming front-facing speakers with rich sound, and an optional cover that both protects the screen and can be used as a stand to support the device. To transform the tablet form factor into a serious gaming machine, NVIDIA has built the SHIELD wireless controller, which provides the precision, low latency and ergonomics that serious gamers demand.The SHIELD tablet offers optional LTE for gamers to take their online gaming anywhere. And to ensure the device delivers the richest gaming experience, NVIDIA will provide regular, over-the-air software updates.
As with the original member of the SHIELD family, the original SHIELD portable, the SHIELD tablet is the portal to compelling content that gamers will love, including over 400 SHIELD-optimized Android games, as well as the ability to wirelessly stream users’ PC gaming libraries. The SHIELD tablet’s gaming capabilities are powered by its Tegra K1 mobile processor, with a 192-core GPU that taps into the same NVIDIA Kepler™ architecture that drives the most extreme gaming PCs.
String of World Firsts
The SHIELD tablet provides a range of firsts for a tablet:
• PC Streaming: First to stream games from a PC desktop or notebook, from anywhere in the home – using NVIDIA GameStream™ technology to stream from systems powered by an NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 6xx series or greater GPU.
• Cloud Streaming: First to stream PC games from the cloud. Gamers can access the NVIDIA GRID™ cloud gaming beta, available exclusively to SHIELD owners in Northern California, to instantly stream a library of high-quality PC games, and then save them in the cloud.
• Twitch and NVIDIA ShadowPlay™: First to feature Twitch – the leading video platform and community for gamers – which is also integrated with ShadowPlay, an advanced
game-capture tool that lets users save and stream their greatest gaming moments. Gamers can stream titles from the SHIELD tablet to friends and foes worldwide. SHIELD Tablet also includes a 5MP front camera to enhance the image of the gamer overlaid on the Twitch gamecast.
• Console Mode: First to feature NVIDIA Console Mode, which takes your tablet gameplay to your big screen TV. Console Mode transforms the device into a full living-room gaming and entertainment experience. Gamers can set up their SHIELD wireless controller, sit back on their couch and play Android games, browse the web and watch their favorite movies — all in native 1080p HD.
Controller for Serious Gamers, with Ultra-Low Latency Wi-Fi
The SHIELD wireless controller is the most advanced device of its kind, allowing gamers to boost performance with ultra-low latency Wi-Fi Direct connectivity with up to four wireless controllers to game along with friends. It is the first precision controller designed for both PC gaming and Android, and features a gaming headset jack, built-in touch pad, volume control and revolutionary voice command and search.
Best Stylus
A stylus allows tablet experiences that touch-only tablets can’t match, and the NVIDIA DirectStylus™ 2 technology on the SHIELD tablet is a game-changer. Twice as responsive as its predecessor, DirectStylus 2 technology enables the first GPU-accelerated 3D painting experience, a new capability where pigment and paint mix and bleed physically, in real time, and the palette is naturally illuminated in 3D as the user adjusts the light source. Aspiring artists can use DirectStylus 2 to capture the attitude of every stroke on the SHIELD tablet, take notes with the integrated apps and handwriting recognition, or get creative with the NVIDIA Dabbler™ app’s hyper-realistic watercolor and 3D Paint oil painting.
Dynamic Sound
Ensuring that every game, song and podcast sounds incredibly crisp and clear, NVIDIA PureAudio™ technology delivers dynamic sound through front-facing stereo speakers and a dual-ported bass-reflex enclosure.
Versatile Cover
The sturdy, optional SHIELD tablet cover does more than just protect the tablet. It offers a variety of flexible stand positions to make gaming and entertainment more enjoyable.
Preloaded with NVIDIA SHIELD Hub and Trine 2
The SHIELD tablet comes preloaded with the NVIDIA SHIELD Hub app, the center of the gamer’s SHIELD experience. The app offers one-touch access to over 400 SHIELD-optimized Android game titles, along with Google Play, where gamers can download thousands of apps, including Netflix, Pandora and more.
Also bundled is the popular Frostbyte game Trine 2: Complete Story. Originally a huge hit on PlayStation, Xbox and Steam, the game is now optimized for great gameplay and graphics on the Tegra K1 processor.
Pricing, Availability and Accessories
The SHIELD tablet comes with either Wi-Fi connectivity, or Wi-Fi and LTE. It’s available in 16- and 32GB, with MicroSD (up to 128GB), starting at $299. The SHIELD wireless controller retails for $59. The SHIELD tablet cover retails for $39. The SHIELD tablet, wireless controller and tablet cover are now available for preorder in the United States, Canada and select European countries. Preorders in the United States are available at shield.nvidia.com, Amazon, Best Buy, Fry’s Electronics, GameStop, Micro Center, Newegg and Tiger Direct, and in Canada at Canada Computers, Memory Express, NCIX and ThinkGeek.
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