Shield tablet has a weight and depth that is within 10% of the Xiaomi Mi Pad, so very reasonable. At only 5.0" wide (ie. 126mm wide) and with front-firing stereo speakers, there is no way that they could fit an 8.8" screen. And don't forget that this is one of the world's fastest Android tablets (along with the Mi Pad) with [second gen] stylus included all for $299, which is a fair price.
So i don't have the device to properly measure volume, there are rounded corners and don't really know how curved the back is but we can look at the dimensions comparing a very compact tablet with this one. Shield Tablet 221 x 126 x 9.2mm 390 grams , 5197 mAh Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 212.8 x 125.6 x 6.6 mm 294 grams , 4900mAh So very rough volume approximation based just on dimensions so excludes any curves - if anyone has real volume numbers, i would be very curious to see them. Sheild Tablet is 256 k cubic mm Tab S is 176 k cubic mm So the Shield is 45% bigger, might not look like it at first glance but it is. If that is not bulky then what is? To make things funnier the Shield tab has a smaller screen, 8 inch vs 8.4 inch and if you look at the screen area per volume (of the device) ratio it gets even worse because the screen area is 10% bigger for the Samsung - someone will point out that it's not 10% because the diagonal is just 5 % bigger but area really is 10% bigger so in volume per screen area it gets even bulkier. Sure Shield has a slightly bigger battery, likely more ports and likely bigger speakers but something is way off and wasting the volume budget.
It is the magnesium thermal shield Nvidia put in to keep the K1 SOC cool during extended gaming sessions, that explains the massive difference in thickness. The length difference comes from the massive front facing speakers, the same reason as why the HTC One M7/M8 are longer than GS4/5 even though they have smaller screens.
Tab S is the thinnest tablet there is now, even thinner and lighter than iPad Mini. You can't seriously compare this gaming tablet with Tab S. Tab S has 3x LESS GPU performance.
How is the pricing poor? The 16gb Nexus 7 is $230 and this has better performance, a bigger screen, the hdmi out and the microsd slot so you can add 128 gig to the storage and all that for only $70 more. Looks like it is well priced for what it offers.
Hmm.... Shield tablet or PS4 for a little more .... hmmm....
That flip cover should have been included with the tablet. All these manufacturers are trying to eke out every little bit of money for the accessories. But when you're launching (again) a new design & interface different from your competitors, then you need to provide some value from the beginning. Charging $39 for a flip cover is not the way to do so, nor is charging the same price for your controller as a regular PS/Xbox controller. You're trying to break into the market - you're not an equal yet.
Totally different products. If you want an android tablet, then this is probably one of the better ones. If you want a game system, obviously the PS4 destroys this in every possible way (save for portability of course).
A lot of these OEMs are trying to make the hardware as cheap as possible, especially when bunches of people are complaining that $300 is expensive. The profits are all in the peripherals.
If they included the flip cover and a controller with the product, they'd probably be selling it at $400 each.
hmm shield tablet for $300 with games included or PS4 for $350 + $200 tv + $60 Game + $50 online card + another $30-$60 for every other game you want to play.
Looks great, nice specs and price point but I've found myself moving away from Android/iOS devices lately. Toy mobile OSes are just too limited compared to full blown x86 Windows, but this device has a chance to do well with its gaming focus.
Mainly need to see:
1) Better game support on Android OS. More PC/console titles ported to Android will help this device bridge the gap. I imagine Nvidia will ultimately try to make this their console competitor, but it has a LONG way to go to catch up, and it will still ultimately be limited in what it can do due to hardware relative to current "next-gen" consoles. I believe Nvidia is claiming TK1 performs similarly to "last-gen" consoles (360/PS3).
2) More PC/GRID streaming options. I want to eventually be able to stream from my PC remotely anywhere that has a low-latency connection. Basically the inverse of GRID with my PC being the GRID server.
I may pick one up if they offer them in a GeForce bundle with Maxwell this fall, but overall I'm done waiting on Android to catch up with the functionality I need in small mobile devices like this, so I ended up building a i3 NUC and picked up a Surface Pro 3. They cost more than their Android/iOS counterparts, but they also offer functionality only available with Windows on x86.
All in all, the best and fastest tablet to date, sure there are things that could be better, but next gen. is around the corner with 64 bit Denver K1 AND next year Erista will have Denver with Maxwell GPU cores. Now THAT's something I'd like to see in a 8" tablet.
Who cares what kind of graphics/gaming performance it has when it doesn't satisfy specific functions that require an x86 ISA Windows-based platform? You don't seem to get it (like most who still haven't gotten over the whole Android/iOS novelty), for business, entertainment, productivity, and content creation you still need x86 Windows plain and simple, otherwise you are left with a hodgepodge of half-working, half-solutions spread across dozens of apps. In gaming terms, its like trying to navigate a maze of floaty platforms, some lead somewhere, most to nowhere.....half fall out from underneath your feet.
"Toy OS", "Novelty"... As MS itself recently said - the world used to be all desktop and they owned 90+% of that market. Now, taking into account all computing devices, they own 14%. You can throw around terms like 'content creation' as you like and make vague pointless claims about somehow needing Windows for business use or 'productivity'. Sit comfortably using MS Office with the rest of the aging passengers while the band plays on and the ship sinks further and further. I'm confident the last words we hear as you gulp for air above the waves will be to chide us about not being able to do anything on these other toy and novelty OSs - which everyone else is using quite effectively now and only continue to improve.
Yes and as Microsoft also recently acknowledged, Office is their most important product and drives all of their business lines. They know what sells their OS and keeps it relevant, along with Enterprise Active Directory in the business space.
What's vague and pointless about the ability to VPN into secure networks requiring RSA or PIV authentication into a Windows AD Enterprise domain? The ability to remote into secure domain servers and perform typing-intensive work that requires a competent keyboard? The ability to quickly author and mock-up notes or presentations and distribute them quickly over a secure enterprise network? The ability to secure your data on a mobile device with integrated BitLocker? The ability to map and connect basically any peripheral, media or data source on the planet? On the entertainment side, how about being able to handle encrypted premium cablecard content? Run any specialized software that runs on Windows with seamless support. Windows does this, Android and iOS don't.
All of these things are handled seamlessly, and you still get everything iOS/Android devices provide as well, Netflix, Pandora, eBooks, banking apps, simple browser games, random apps, web browsing. Basically, random distractions. But like I said, this isn't about what Windows can do when it comes to computing because it does everything, its really about what iOS and Android CAN'T do. The sooner you come to this realization, the better, or maybe you just have simple needs that are easily satisfied.
I overclock my PCs, have windows based nas. I also have custom rom on my android phone & tablets. and also have to support iOS (wife's ipad and iphone). each are a tool optimized for different roles. In case you're thinking I am biased. I am a big proponent of the 'right tool for the job'
Windows 8.1 is really really trying to push me into Android and iOS, "handled seamlessly" is not an expression I would use on getting cable card equipped ethernet based silicondust tuner to work with my 5 windows 8.1 devices. I also wouldn't use that expression for on getting my work & private VPN to work without crashing (Citrix & OpenVPN). Bitlocker is so so, I prefer truecrypt for secure container. that one is seamless...
Ultimately, I finally warming up on using android for large PDFs on the fly (i.e. when I am on my feet), Office are passable, but laptop is better. Android for emails with pictures & videos are awesome (work or not.. if you get that one). It also have better (more reliable) bluetooth management, compared to windows. I use it extensively for music streams. I can access samba, VPN, file shares, dropbox/skydrive/gdrive easily. for these use, androids are on par than my 4.7GHz i7 with gigabit & 4.0 bluetooth from broadcom.
iOS is dropping off, apple is not very good at playing commodity market. I think they need to come up with groundbreaking wearables soon.
Ultimately, just want to say that android earned it's place as a handheld interface ala star-trek. it does not replace laptop. they complement each other. maybe 2-5 years from now, we'll get a unified solution... but for now, tablet/phablet & laptop is the word. Not one or the other.
Huh? So your Android devices can handle your encrypted cablecard tuner content? Oh right, they don't handle that at all, actually one of my primary reasons I don't use Android for the only thing its really even decent at, media playback. There's an "app" that is just as I said, a half-assed solution that doesn't handle premium encrypted content, Windows is the only option. Why? Because Microsoft spent the time and resources to handle the necessary behind-the scene encryption and DRM to satisfy the CableCos. This is the same story with virtually everything Windows handles that Android doesn't.
Crashing VPN? Try using a reliable VPN client, ie. Cisco AnyConnect VPN like every enterprise I've ever worked with. Works great on any Windows-based client, flakey on Android and iOS but still better than Citrix and OpenVPN. Why? Because Windows-based clients are Cisco's bread and butter.
And TrueEncrypt is better than BitLocker? No, I can recover a BitLocker token MUCH easier than any other encryption method (online account-based via MS), especially in an enterprise environment where a BitLocker key authenticates via AD account on a separate BitLocker server.....
And how does Android handle PDFs on the fly much better when you have access to FULL Adobe Acrobat Pro on a Windows tablet with more capable hardware?
More reliable Bluetooth management? LMAO. Android isn't even compatible with most BT devices without another "app" and even then pairing BT with Android is its own adventure. Meanwhile, Windows provides its own universal BT stack that will at least recognize and pair the device as long as it is compatible with Windows.
Samba...lol you're just an endless flow of bad ideas and bad implementations aren't you? Accessing fileshares via Samba are just as slow on Android as Mac OS X. It'll be awesome when Samba one day allows you to access a secure fileshare without having to type your username and password in plaintext....Skydrive is BUILT into Windows 8 and dropbox/gdrive are certainly easier to use on Windows as well due to better access to your device's contents.
Tablet/phablet & laptop was the word last year, the new "words" are Surface Pro, 2-in-1 or even Bay Trail-based tablet because they do everything Android devices do, only better.
Reality is, you're ignorant. I've been hugely critical of the Surface Pro 1/2 (just read the review comments), especially on pricing, and even more critical of the RT variants as being worst than Android/iOS for the SAME reasons they all fail compared to x86 Windows alternatives.
I've also listed the very real use cases that have brought me to my conclusions. Why lug around a $300 tablet and $800 laptop when a $1000 device handles both use cases as good, or better? I think the market will continue to move in this direction, especially on the low-end where you can get cheap Atom-based alternatives with a full version of Windows (non-Pro) for the same price as Android options, and cheaper than iOS options.
The reality is, Android is still limited as a platform, sure this tablet differentiates itself with the gaming aspect, but as a pure gaming platform it has to contend with other options as well, like the next-gen consoles. Many others have come to the same conclusion if you bother to read the rest of the comments, I guess they are all console shills too huh?
"sure this tablet differentiates itself with the gaming aspect, but as a pure gaming platform it has to contend with other options as well, like the next-gen consoles. Many others have come to the same conclusion if you bother to read the rest of the comments, I guess they are all console shills too huh?"
No. Their comments have relevance; this tablet aims at the gaming sector, so it's expected that folk would discuss the relative merits of consoles vs this device.
Your comments are obvious Microsoft propaganda.
Stock up on supplies, and dig in, because the future does not look good for you guys.
Huh? And how are my comments any less relevant? If someone buys this, it will be solely for gaming because chances are they already have 2-3 Android/iOS devices that handle the non-gaming aspects just as good as this device ever will.
If someone wants more than a gaming device, there are better options. Anyone buying this expecting more is going to be disappointed, as I have been for the last 3-4 years in the evolution of Android/iOS, so if you buy this, the gaming aspect needs to justify the $400 total price tag (with accessories) putting it into direct contention with the next-gen consoles. That's a much harder sell at that point.
My comments about Windows/Surface just re-emphasize the fact these toy OSes like Android/iOS are just that, toys that are probably best-suited for gaming, just don't expect it to be a full-featured platform like a Windows x86 based tablet that can do everything. No need to get all butthurt crying about propaganda, when in reality, its the truth.
Lack of objectivity, lmao, from someone who can't even acknowledge the very obvious shortcomings of toy OSes like Android and iOS. I simply stated this tablet, like every other Android product before it, will never be as full-featured a solution as a Windows tablet for the reasons I've outlined in more detail when challenged on it.
Full-featured Win8.1 tablets for $150-$380, who in their right mind would pick an Android device over one of these at the same price points? Sure Shield Tablet has more of a gaming focus, but you better make sure you know what you are getting and why if you pull that trigger, or you'll just end up being disappointed.
bro, while i'm not necessarily in agreement with anyone else...however you are the clueless guy. Android = Linux. Linux has a far greater hardware/software following than Windows. Just because *you* can't make it work doesn't mean it doesn't work. Just saying.
I, too, bought a Surface Pro 3 for my daughter who is going to college in the fall. So how much did yours cost? How well does it do when you play your favorite games on it?
Nice! I'm sure your daughter will love it. I actually bought mine mainly for my wife who is also going back to school this fall. We originally got her an Asus T100 for the task, but it wasn't quite polished or fast enough for her to be fully satisfied with it. The stylus was the kicker in that respect, but the typepad is also better overall than the T100's mini-keyboard. OneNote and PowerPoint with the Stylus is an absolute game-changer for taking notes, I wish this tech was available when I was in school!
I actually haven't tried playing any games on it, but I've read the SP3 handles gaming decently. I'd probably only run Diablo 3 on it to 2-box since that's what I've played the most recently, and I had read the i5 HD4400 runs that with no problems at all. We paid $900 (price matched to Microsoft store) + add'l 10% back in rewards from Best Buy for the i5/128GB variant. Staples also had a 15% off tech coupon this weekend that worked on Surface Pro 3 with an additional 10% rewards from BoA. It is definitely more costly than anything in the Android space, but it also is capable of a ton more too. Very happy with the device, price point is still a bit high, but Microsoft addressed my main gripes about SPro 1/2 (battery life, thickness, screen size).
Well, streaming from a home pc to WAN will never be a mainstream option, as rarely anyone has a static IP, especially gamers who would actually buy a tablet like this. You could make a case for having a dyndns-like service provided by Nvidia, but the fact is, most ISP's in the States and in most of the financially developed countries in Europe are utter crap.
@Nevertell, this is probably in response to my request to have streaming enabled from my PC to WAN, it's actually not an issue as long as you have software/firmware on both ends to dynamically handle IPs/hostnames. My Home NAS handles this seamlessly and only uses a web-based authentication system which handles all the IP/hostname handshaking.
But you won't get a stable uplink from your regular consumer ISP, especially if you do not live right next to a junction box or you have loads of other clients sitting on the same line.
The Technology for streaming your pc games to a tablet is already here. We've been capable of this for over 2 years now, it's just america's horrible internet that holds everything back. And it's not going to get better anytime soon.
A optimistic estimate would be 15 years from now. Sure nvidia could make datacenters closer, but we need internet that's capable of 5 Mbps UP AND DOWN and quite simply, only 3-4% of people have a 5 Mbps Upload capability.
Well it would obviously be limited to QoS/Bandwidth requirements dependent on ISP, same as GRID being limited to certain markets, or GameStream requiring 5GHz, but yes the underlying tech has been there, it just hasn't been enabled. This would be the game-changer imo for Shield and really differentiate it from consoles and handhelds.
I've had access to 5Mbps upstream for nearly a decade and my current ISP (FiOS) has me at at 75/50. Many public WiFi hotspots in my area (Panera, Starbucks etc.) also have at least 15Mbps up and 5GHz WiFi, although I'm not sure they would sustain those speeds when shared among multiple users.
>GameStream gaming outside of your home Wi-Fi network is a BETA feature and requires minimum upload and download bandwidth speeds of 5Mbps. Streaming experience may vary depending on the quality of your Internet.
Wow, that's awesome!!! It is a very obscure footnote so hopefully more attention/testing is made of this when the reviews go live, presumably next week. *IF* this support spreads to more games and handles the latency decently well, I will definitely be picking one of these up. Probably not at release, but I will probably wait until the new Maxwell GPUs are released and see if they do a Shield bundle like they did last Holiday season.
This really has some endless possibilities, maybe one day you could use your Shield tablet/portable as a thin client you could bring to LAN parties, gaming events, meet-ups, trade-shows and leave your PC as a server at home. Throw an ethernet to USB dongle on there for even more reliable internet. Obviously not something for pro/competitive gamers, but this would certainly be appealing to more casual/social gamers.
I like it. I don't think it's enough to replace my Nexus 7, but I'll wait for the full review. I'll need to pick up an Nvidia GPU again, but I was planning on doing that soonish anyways.
"In addition to the stylus features, Nvidia is advertising 1080p Netflix support. Normally, due to the DRM restrictions associated with high bitrate streaming, most Android devices only support low resolution streams. Nvidia has done all of the necessary work to satisfy these DRM requirements, so it supports the highest bitrate available to mobile devices. Of course, this feature will be disabled with an unlocked bootloader, but it’s a good feature to have for mobile streaming."
Josh, do you have a link to the Netflix support pages that confirm all of this? All I can find is:
"Netflix HD playback is only available on the new Nexus 7 tablet."
Thanks, JoshHo. The Greenbot review said something similar:
"There aren't a lot of Android devices that will stream Netflix in 1080p. Google's Nexus 7 (2013 model) and the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S are notable exceptions. Nvidia now joins that elite club with the Shield Tablet, though I suspect 1080p Netflix streaming will be pretty common in the coming year."
It is true that there are no phones that support 1080p Netflix? Last October, with the release of Netflix 5.0, the iPhone only supported 720p Netflix:
"Also, for those fixated on resolution, we checked with the company and confirmed the streams max out at 720p on the iPhone / iPod touch and 1080p on the iPad."
Netflix 6.0 was launched on iOS last month. What I think will be interesting is if the iPhone 6 does indeed come in a 5.5" variant with a 1080p+ screen then, unless Netflix change, a 720p stream will be visibly inferior to a 1080p stream on even a 7" tablet.
Josh, you also said, "Of course, this feature will be disabled with an unlocked bootloader... " Does you have a reference for this specifically?
When you write your review of the SHIELD Tablet, can you please try to unlock the bootlader, install Hangouts and Google Dialer (the 4.4.2 version by TKRuzze, not the newer 4.4.3 version), relock the bootloader and see if it functions as a massive phone? In the full specs for the SHIELD Tablet, it says that a few country models of the EU variant will support voice calling by default, but this could be a hacky approach for those who don't have those models if they wish to have a giant, all-in-one media streaming and communication device. Thanks.
Until Android security gets beefed up, I'm absolutely uninterested in an Android gaming tablet - especially one featuring a couple of cameras, networking, and cellular connectivity. I certainly wouldn't be interested in spending $500, including accessories, for a gaming device that is clearly much worse in every significant regard than competing consoles.
Shield tablet is simply a really fast pure Android tablet (with stylus) that has an optional accessory for gaming (wireless controller). This is not something that should be used exclusively for gaming! Think of this as a very improved version of the Tegra Note 7 (with larger and higher res screen, much faster and more modern GPU, improved second gen stylus, improved Wifi + connectivity, improved build quality, improved heat dissipation capability).
As a standalone gaming machine, I would agree, it is still far behind the similarly priced "next-gen" consoles, but it does offer extra value for some as a "PC extender" console with its GameStream functionality. If you look at it that way, you would get a console experience that is better than competing consoles in most regards since you would be leveraging the power and library of your PC.
While the GameStream technology is somewhat interesting to me, I would not pay $300 for a PC-extender, the gaming aspect needs to stand on its own to make this purchase worthwhile, and currently, the Android market isn't interesting enough to me until they start getting more console/PC franchise games. There is also another usage group that this device satisfies as an emulator, but that doesn't really interest me either.
True, currently the Android gaming market isn't full enough yet. But consoles are no longer the target platform for game developers like they used to be. There is more money to be made with Android/iOS, and it's probably only a matter of time (when mobile hardware truly allows for an Android gaming ecosystem) before the AAA developers start aiming for Android/iOS first--or at least equal to Windows.
Not sure if that's really the case given current Android games run from $7 to $10 max, most others are free and charge for microtransactions. That's quite a gap from the $50-60 that most big budget AAA titles charge. You're going to have to sell a ton of Android games to close the gap on some of the big sellers you see like GTA5, Watch_Dogs, Call of Duty etc.
I think Android's best shot at success is the approach Nvidia is taking with full OpenGL support while closing the hardware gap and porting PC favorites (HL2, Portal etc). If they can slot in where the handhelds left off, with watered down Wii-like ports or 1-gen back ports of popular titles, I think they have a chance to grow the Android gaming platform, but as it is now, there's really nothing compelling that would interest me in strictly Android gaming platform as a user or developer.
At least with the traditional handhelds, you have popular 1st-party franchises or 3rd-party releases and remixes that you would expect on a handheld platform and still hold up well.
Yes, currently those $7-$10 games are relatively simple and likewise cheaper to produce since the majority of Android gaming is done on phones/tablets. Touch screen gaming can only get so complicated, so what we have now are games tailored toward casual gamers. It's only a matter of time before hardware catches up and Android console gaming (or mouse/keyboard gaming) starts to take off. Or maybe console gaming won't ever make a comeback. Just because those "biggest sellers" cost $50-$60 does not mean they are more profitable, or even better games. And they are becoming few and far between now... I mean, not 5 years ago each quarter would have a slew of new AAA titles to get excited about. Now I can count an entire year's worth on my fingers... My point is that Android gaming is where the money is, and that's always been the most compelling reason for developers' choices of platforms. So it's only natural that once it becomes feasible, you can bet developers will be aiming for Android (and iOS) first. And in the case of small-medium companies/developers that don't have the resources to develop for all platforms... you can already see that decision being made.
And don't think I'm anti-MS or anything... I actually like Win8.1 and finding myself defending it against idiots that write off the whole OS because they can't/don't want to adapt to for whatever reason. But unfortunately that has played a role in this whole consumer movement away from desktops and Windows in general. And I hate when people make arbitrary doomsday predictions, but it would seem that if this trend continues, Windows will eventually become just the OS for running legacy applications.
Sorry, that just doesn't add up, Gartner estimated Video Game revenues of $100 Billion for 2014. Nvidia says Google Play sees revenues of $250M last quarter (90% games), annualized you are looking at maybe 1.5-2B at best extrapolating growth rates. Singular titles are making more than that in any given year. In any case, there's a long way to go to bridge that gap.
I'm also not sure about the number of exciting games decreasing, it seems to me there's so many to choose from I don't even feel compelled to buy more than 1-2 at release because I know they'll just go on sale by the time I am ready to play them.
Anyways, doesn't really have anything to do with Windows in this context, as a gaming machine Shield Portable will really be up against next-gen consoles first (same price point) and against handhelds second (loses here due to weak Android library and lack of compelling 1st/3rd party titles). If anything Nvidia is hoping to piggy-back on the PC market with their various GameStream technologies until Android gaming is strong enought to stand on its own.
https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2614915 Gartner says mobile gaming revenue was 13.2B. Epic games has said they made more from the Infinity Blade series than ALL of the Gears of War series per man hour invested and it only runs on Apple.
"Mobile games are the fastest-growing segment of the market, with revenue set to nearly double between 2013 and 2015 from $13.2 billion to $22 billion (see Table 1)"
Shield's competition is Vita/3DS/Xbox360/ps3. Of course as titles evolve on android and they shrink to 20/14nm yeah then REAL competition for consoles from ALL of mobile. Consoles aren't really portable, and you can't do tablet stuff at all on them (stylus, camera stuff etc, browsing etc, a kid can do some homework etc on these). Many uses past gaming. I expect a DIRECT console box after AndroidL +64bit chips hit and a 125w PSU box ships to directly compete.
Lack of compelling android titles? I'm pretty much ignoring sports/adventure types below (I tend to play strategy/rpg/action) as I am looking forward to playing others below first. I could go on but look at some of these on googleplay and you should get the point. Top paid apps have even more not listed here. Also note 50% of devs at GDC this year (60% last year leading the way) are MAKING games for mobile. Contrast that to consoles all with <20 (and only PS4) making stuff and you see where this is going. PC Now 52% and #1 just above mobile. It's clear even with $2-20 games the 1.2B unit per year sales on mobile is too large to ignore.
World at Arms (check this game out! WOW) Modern Combat 5: Blackout (again, freaking WOW, android at it's best just hit july 23rd!) Dungeon Hunter 3 + 4 (gameloft is an awesome DEV, looks like xbox360 games) Captain America TWS Rival Knights Ravensword Shadowlonds (excellent) Edge of Tomorrow (check out the graphics) Injustice: Gods Among Us (check out the gameplay, multiplayer too) Stilland War HD (adventure rpg, June 30 2014) Asphalt 8 Amazing Spiderman RPG Spectral Souls (large tactical RPG) Need for Speed Most Wanted Six Guns Dead Trigger 2 Gangstar City GT Racing 2 SoulCraft 2 Brothers in Arms 2 300 Seize Your Glory Wild Blood (excellent) Order & Chaos ONline Eternity Warriors 2 (millions of installs) Blazing Souls Accelate Chaos Rings 1 & 2 Real Boxing Gangstar Vegas Bloodsword (very nice!) ChoplifterHD fron inexile TaintedKeep (for those adventure rpg types) Riptide GP2 Gun Bros 2 Modern Combat 1-4 Iron Man 3 (impressive to say the least) Frontline Commando Nova 3 (nova 1 & 2 aren't bad either) Dark Knight Rises: Shadowgun (still think tablets gaming sucks?) Gangstar Rio Bard's Tale (hey, isn't this a CONSOLE game...LOL) ArmA2: Firing Range (not as impressive, but this was 2011...LOL) Renaissance Blood Zombie Driver THD (just updated Aug1 specifically for shield) Final Fantasy 3 Final Fantasy 6 Asphalt 7 COD Black Ops Zombie game...Who knew? Great Battles Medieval THD (optimized for Tegra2...still looks good)
You forgot XCOM (unless I missed it). Just started playing it and it's like the perfect game for phones and tablets (though Pokemon would take that title if it ever happens).
I wonder how they are accessing the Full OpenGL spec on Android as I don't believe the new Android extensions even do that. Opens the door for a fully capable Dolphin emulator to run on it though.
I'm really looking forward to a review from AT as I'm extremely interested by this thing. A vanilla Android experience with stylus support and gaming focus is right up my alley.
There is a video on Youtube where it shows there is a track pad on the controller on top of the volume controls. That's interesting as that would help with navigating menus.
So all it has is a controller that plugs in like a console controller? That's stupid. IT's not a portable gaming machine if it's not all integrated into one unit. They should design some snap ons like Razer made so it can actually be a portable gaming device.
If it's a good controller though I could see using it on PC at home for certain games.
If I was in the market for a tablet I would definitely go with this. Hopefully they come out with better games for tablets, I haven't really been impressed with any lately. I wonder how well it would do in emulating PS2. Imagine Shadow of the Colossus on a mobile platform like this.
I wonder what clock speed the GPU cores run at... The clocks are probably much lower, but if they weren't, this would be basically half as powerful (for GPU) as my Asus gaming notebook from a few years ago. As it is it's probably more like 1/4, but still.
It's GOT to be more powerful (in terms of GPU) than the last gen consoles, right? Kind of cool...of course moot point since they're far better for games.
Wish this thing ran...anything other than Android.
Wow, didn't notice the price. While it's certainly fair, even if I wanted a mobile OS as a gaming device (NOT a good choice...) I'd pick an iPad at that price.
I can't help by think this is another bad attempt at a gaming tablet for the same reason all others have failed. No built in controller. If I have a nice table to sit at and can pull a controller out then why am I on a tablet and not a laptop or console? I would love a gaming tablet with dual thumbsticks, ABXY buttons, and shoulder triggers. That I would get. But this seems like just another tabet in a giant sea of them with some extra software loaded on it. I say this mostly because I am disappointed. I want the next gameboy/vita replacement to be a tablet style device with actual gaming input. I really thought NVidia might do it but I've been let down again. Maybe Nintendo or Sony will catch on to this next go around
I think you are on a tablet and not a laptop or console because you didn't want to carry a laptop or console around or perhaps you don't own one. And you hardly need a table. No reason this couldn't sit on the floor in front of where you are sitting on the floor, or sit on the dashboard of a car or hang from the headrest of a car seat for use in the backseat. More to the point if you didn't feel like gaming in any of those situations you could also read an an e-book or do any of the other myriad of things tablets work well for.
Or play your touch-based games when it's too awkward, and controller-based games when you have access to a table. Since when is being more versatile a bad thing?
The sim I want to use is a full size T-Mobile sim (on the $30 5 Gigabyte plan). I can't use a different sim or I'll lose the deal.
So I guess I need to go back and read the article about sim card punchers, and hope I don't screw it up.
So on that note, I really wish the LTE version had a full size sim card. There is definitely room for it, and it's easier to convert up in size than down.
I am wondering how this will work with Android "L" and also how, if at all, it will relate to "Android TV". It has all the hardware in place to function very well as an "Android TV" box. If software updates bring that capability (to chose between mirroring or Nvidia 'console' mode or 'Android TV' mode when I plug it in via hdmi) then I could see this coming home with me. Would also very much like to know how the stylus experience compares with the Samsung models.
I apparently am in the minority, but is there going to be a 10 inch version of this thing or a 10 inch anything with the K1? I don't understand why 7-8" is the hot thing now.
I agree with you. I currently have a 10" Asus Transformer, and that's about the right size in my opinion. With Asus going 100% Intel (as far as I can tell), someone else needs to make a 10-inch K1 tablet with a keyboard dock.
Completely agree, a Haswell ULV or even Bay Trail-M based CPU with K1 GPU running full Windows 8.1 in a mobile device would be amazing. It won't happen anytime soon though, but there is the vehicle for it with Nvidia's announcement last year that it would license its GPU IP. We'd need an announcement by Intel followed by at least 2-3 years to integrate it into Intel mobile designs.
Next year Nvidia is said to come out with Maxwell in a SoC like this, with Denver CPU cores, the Erista, but sure x86_64 would have have been the best combo to date. Can't get everything you want, I reckon. Maybe in 2016 or so.
AMD would have been in a perfect position to take advantage of this segment. Instead they're floundering about doing absolutely nothing. It amazes me how such a horribly run company manages to avoid bankruptcy.
I really dont know what all the bad comments are about. This tablet has the best bang for buck. Where else do u get: 2Gb Ram Tegra K1 class processor Stylus Dual Front Facing speakers Full HD display Timely updates Stock android Great design
at $299 in mass market? huh
Not to mention 5mp front and rear AOHDR Camera (1080p Video, Twitch streaming) Direct Stylus Game streaming GRID Full modern graphic software stack compatibility And best looking mobile graphics
This tablet should be a big seller on the mainstream. Not just for gamers. This tablet really is the best tablet at that cost and probably the best tablet at any cost.
Also agree, people might have different opinions about the merits of this on a purely gaming basis, or in relation to how well it might bridge the gap between desktop and mobile gaming, but I think many aren't giving this its due as a very good Android tablet in its own right (and for a reasonable asking price). Looked at from that perspective, and with the other stuff viewed as additions to a fundamentally sound tablet, I think it's hard to be too critical of Nvidia here.
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jjj - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Way bulky and heavy at a poor pricing, they could have fitted an 8.8 inch screen in that body.sherlockwing - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
And lose the dual front facing speaker in the process.ams23 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Shield tablet has a weight and depth that is within 10% of the Xiaomi Mi Pad, so very reasonable. At only 5.0" wide (ie. 126mm wide) and with front-firing stereo speakers, there is no way that they could fit an 8.8" screen. And don't forget that this is one of the world's fastest Android tablets (along with the Mi Pad) with [second gen] stylus included all for $299, which is a fair price.jjj - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
So i don't have the device to properly measure volume, there are rounded corners and don't really know how curved the back is but we can look at the dimensions comparing a very compact tablet with this one.Shield Tablet 221 x 126 x 9.2mm 390 grams , 5197 mAh
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 212.8 x 125.6 x 6.6 mm 294 grams , 4900mAh
So very rough volume approximation based just on dimensions so excludes any curves - if anyone has real volume numbers, i would be very curious to see them.
Sheild Tablet is 256 k cubic mm
Tab S is 176 k cubic mm
So the Shield is 45% bigger, might not look like it at first glance but it is. If that is not bulky then what is?
To make things funnier the Shield tab has a smaller screen, 8 inch vs 8.4 inch and if you look at the screen area per volume (of the device) ratio it gets even worse because the screen area is 10% bigger for the Samsung - someone will point out that it's not 10% because the diagonal is just 5 % bigger but area really is 10% bigger so in volume per screen area it gets even bulkier.
Sure Shield has a slightly bigger battery, likely more ports and likely bigger speakers but something is way off and wasting the volume budget.
sherlockwing - Sunday, July 27, 2014 - link
It is the magnesium thermal shield Nvidia put in to keep the K1 SOC cool during extended gaming sessions, that explains the massive difference in thickness. The length difference comes from the massive front facing speakers, the same reason as why the HTC One M7/M8 are longer than GS4/5 even though they have smaller screens.Krysto - Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - link
Tab S is the thinnest tablet there is now, even thinner and lighter than iPad Mini. You can't seriously compare this gaming tablet with Tab S. Tab S has 3x LESS GPU performance.johnhiggin - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
How is the pricing poor? The 16gb Nexus 7 is $230 and this has better performance, a bigger screen, the hdmi out and the microsd slot so you can add 128 gig to the storage and all that for only $70 more. Looks like it is well priced for what it offers.This seems like it'll be a great tablet.
Valis - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Yeah, I agree, totally. But also the Nexus 7 is a year old, to date. Can't wait for the Shield 2 tablet or the 3, for that matter. :)Krysto - Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - link
Me too, but only because I can't wait to see the combination of Denver and Maxwell at 16nm FinFET.ArthurG - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
poor pricing ? in what world are you living ? please name me a more powerful tablet at this price. even at twice the price...jimjamjamie - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
It's a good price for the power and features it offers and is no bulkier/heavier than a Kindle Fire HD.Morawka - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
obvious troll, move along now.Ian Cutress - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
DDR3L-1866 is very interesting indeed. I wonder what the sub-timings are. I'm hoping for something better than 11-11-11.nathanddrews - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I wonder what battery life will be like?kron123456789 - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Well, Xiaomi MiPad can ~5 hours of gameplay with max display brightness. Shield Tablet have smaller battery, but it also have lower resolution.romrunning - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Hmm.... Shield tablet or PS4 for a little more .... hmmm....That flip cover should have been included with the tablet. All these manufacturers are trying to eke out every little bit of money for the accessories. But when you're launching (again) a new design & interface different from your competitors, then you need to provide some value from the beginning. Charging $39 for a flip cover is not the way to do so, nor is charging the same price for your controller as a regular PS/Xbox controller. You're trying to break into the market - you're not an equal yet.
ArthurG - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
how dare you compare a living room console to a portable tablet ? apples vs oranges at the bestWolfpup - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Totally different products. If you want an android tablet, then this is probably one of the better ones. If you want a game system, obviously the PS4 destroys this in every possible way (save for portability of course).jimjamjamie - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I can't remember seeing a screen on the PS4...mkozakewich - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
A lot of these OEMs are trying to make the hardware as cheap as possible, especially when bunches of people are complaining that $300 is expensive. The profits are all in the peripherals.If they included the flip cover and a controller with the product, they'd probably be selling it at $400 each.
Morawka - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
hmm shield tablet for $300 with games included or PS4 for $350 + $200 tv + $60 Game + $50 online card + another $30-$60 for every other game you want to play.chizow - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Looks great, nice specs and price point but I've found myself moving away from Android/iOS devices lately. Toy mobile OSes are just too limited compared to full blown x86 Windows, but this device has a chance to do well with its gaming focus.Mainly need to see:
1) Better game support on Android OS. More PC/console titles ported to Android will help this device bridge the gap. I imagine Nvidia will ultimately try to make this their console competitor, but it has a LONG way to go to catch up, and it will still ultimately be limited in what it can do due to hardware relative to current "next-gen" consoles. I believe Nvidia is claiming TK1 performs similarly to "last-gen" consoles (360/PS3).
2) More PC/GRID streaming options. I want to eventually be able to stream from my PC remotely anywhere that has a low-latency connection. Basically the inverse of GRID with my PC being the GRID server.
I may pick one up if they offer them in a GeForce bundle with Maxwell this fall, but overall I'm done waiting on Android to catch up with the functionality I need in small mobile devices like this, so I ended up building a i3 NUC and picked up a Surface Pro 3. They cost more than their Android/iOS counterparts, but they also offer functionality only available with Windows on x86.
Valis - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
All in all, the best and fastest tablet to date, sure there are things that could be better, but next gen. is around the corner with 64 bit Denver K1 AND next year Erista will have Denver with Maxwell GPU cores. Now THAT's something I'd like to see in a 8" tablet.rampantarmadillo - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
This device has the best perf, and perf/$, in the market, and you're still banging on about Surface Pro..Shill.
jimjamjamie - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I think that's a blind accusation - chizow makes valid points.chizow - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Who cares what kind of graphics/gaming performance it has when it doesn't satisfy specific functions that require an x86 ISA Windows-based platform? You don't seem to get it (like most who still haven't gotten over the whole Android/iOS novelty), for business, entertainment, productivity, and content creation you still need x86 Windows plain and simple, otherwise you are left with a hodgepodge of half-working, half-solutions spread across dozens of apps. In gaming terms, its like trying to navigate a maze of floaty platforms, some lead somewhere, most to nowhere.....half fall out from underneath your feet.savagemike - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
"Toy OS", "Novelty"...As MS itself recently said - the world used to be all desktop and they owned 90+% of that market. Now, taking into account all computing devices, they own 14%.
You can throw around terms like 'content creation' as you like and make vague pointless claims about somehow needing Windows for business use or 'productivity'. Sit comfortably using MS Office with the rest of the aging passengers while the band plays on and the ship sinks further and further. I'm confident the last words we hear as you gulp for air above the waves will be to chide us about not being able to do anything on these other toy and novelty OSs - which everyone else is using quite effectively now and only continue to improve.
chizow - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Yes and as Microsoft also recently acknowledged, Office is their most important product and drives all of their business lines. They know what sells their OS and keeps it relevant, along with Enterprise Active Directory in the business space.What's vague and pointless about the ability to VPN into secure networks requiring RSA or PIV authentication into a Windows AD Enterprise domain? The ability to remote into secure domain servers and perform typing-intensive work that requires a competent keyboard? The ability to quickly author and mock-up notes or presentations and distribute them quickly over a secure enterprise network? The ability to secure your data on a mobile device with integrated BitLocker? The ability to map and connect basically any peripheral, media or data source on the planet? On the entertainment side, how about being able to handle encrypted premium cablecard content? Run any specialized software that runs on Windows with seamless support. Windows does this, Android and iOS don't.
All of these things are handled seamlessly, and you still get everything iOS/Android devices provide as well, Netflix, Pandora, eBooks, banking apps, simple browser games, random apps, web browsing. Basically, random distractions. But like I said, this isn't about what Windows can do when it comes to computing because it does everything, its really about what iOS and Android CAN'T do. The sooner you come to this realization, the better, or maybe you just have simple needs that are easily satisfied.
PEJUman - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I overclock my PCs, have windows based nas. I also have custom rom on my android phone & tablets. and also have to support iOS (wife's ipad and iphone). each are a tool optimized for different roles. In case you're thinking I am biased. I am a big proponent of the 'right tool for the job'Windows 8.1 is really really trying to push me into Android and iOS, "handled seamlessly" is not an expression I would use on getting cable card equipped ethernet based silicondust tuner to work with my 5 windows 8.1 devices. I also wouldn't use that expression for on getting my work & private VPN to work without crashing (Citrix & OpenVPN). Bitlocker is so so, I prefer truecrypt for secure container. that one is seamless...
Ultimately, I finally warming up on using android for large PDFs on the fly (i.e. when I am on my feet), Office are passable, but laptop is better. Android for emails with pictures & videos are awesome (work or not.. if you get that one). It also have better (more reliable) bluetooth management, compared to windows. I use it extensively for music streams. I can access samba, VPN, file shares, dropbox/skydrive/gdrive easily. for these use, androids are on par than my 4.7GHz i7 with gigabit & 4.0 bluetooth from broadcom.
iOS is dropping off, apple is not very good at playing commodity market. I think they need to come up with groundbreaking wearables soon.
Ultimately, just want to say that android earned it's place as a handheld interface ala star-trek. it does not replace laptop. they complement each other. maybe 2-5 years from now, we'll get a unified solution... but for now, tablet/phablet & laptop is the word. Not one or the other.
chizow - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Huh? So your Android devices can handle your encrypted cablecard tuner content? Oh right, they don't handle that at all, actually one of my primary reasons I don't use Android for the only thing its really even decent at, media playback. There's an "app" that is just as I said, a half-assed solution that doesn't handle premium encrypted content, Windows is the only option. Why? Because Microsoft spent the time and resources to handle the necessary behind-the scene encryption and DRM to satisfy the CableCos. This is the same story with virtually everything Windows handles that Android doesn't.Crashing VPN? Try using a reliable VPN client, ie. Cisco AnyConnect VPN like every enterprise I've ever worked with. Works great on any Windows-based client, flakey on Android and iOS but still better than Citrix and OpenVPN. Why? Because Windows-based clients are Cisco's bread and butter.
And TrueEncrypt is better than BitLocker? No, I can recover a BitLocker token MUCH easier than any other encryption method (online account-based via MS), especially in an enterprise environment where a BitLocker key authenticates via AD account on a separate BitLocker server.....
And how does Android handle PDFs on the fly much better when you have access to FULL Adobe Acrobat Pro on a Windows tablet with more capable hardware?
More reliable Bluetooth management? LMAO. Android isn't even compatible with most BT devices without another "app" and even then pairing BT with Android is its own adventure. Meanwhile, Windows provides its own universal BT stack that will at least recognize and pair the device as long as it is compatible with Windows.
Samba...lol you're just an endless flow of bad ideas and bad implementations aren't you? Accessing fileshares via Samba are just as slow on Android as Mac OS X. It'll be awesome when Samba one day allows you to access a secure fileshare without having to type your username and password in plaintext....Skydrive is BUILT into Windows 8 and dropbox/gdrive are certainly easier to use on Windows as well due to better access to your device's contents.
Tablet/phablet & laptop was the word last year, the new "words" are Surface Pro, 2-in-1 or even Bay Trail-based tablet because they do everything Android devices do, only better.
PEJUman - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I want whatever you're smoking. seems nice...chizow - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Yeah it's called reality, maybe you should stick it in your pipe and try it sometime.rampantarmadillo - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Reality is:#1 You're a shill. There's zero reason to bring Surface (Pro or otherwise) up in this comment thread.
#2 Microsoft's stranglehold on the industry is gone. They'll adapt or continue to lose market share. Regardless of your diatribe.
chizow - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Reality is, you're ignorant. I've been hugely critical of the Surface Pro 1/2 (just read the review comments), especially on pricing, and even more critical of the RT variants as being worst than Android/iOS for the SAME reasons they all fail compared to x86 Windows alternatives.I've also listed the very real use cases that have brought me to my conclusions. Why lug around a $300 tablet and $800 laptop when a $1000 device handles both use cases as good, or better? I think the market will continue to move in this direction, especially on the low-end where you can get cheap Atom-based alternatives with a full version of Windows (non-Pro) for the same price as Android options, and cheaper than iOS options.
The reality is, Android is still limited as a platform, sure this tablet differentiates itself with the gaming aspect, but as a pure gaming platform it has to contend with other options as well, like the next-gen consoles. Many others have come to the same conclusion if you bother to read the rest of the comments, I guess they are all console shills too huh?
rampantarmadillo - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
"sure this tablet differentiates itself with the gaming aspect, but as a pure gaming platform it has to contend with other options as well, like the next-gen consoles. Many others have come to the same conclusion if you bother to read the rest of the comments, I guess they are all console shills too huh?"No. Their comments have relevance; this tablet aims at the gaming sector, so it's expected that folk would discuss the relative merits of consoles vs this device.
Your comments are obvious Microsoft propaganda.
Stock up on supplies, and dig in, because the future does not look good for you guys.
chizow - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Huh? And how are my comments any less relevant? If someone buys this, it will be solely for gaming because chances are they already have 2-3 Android/iOS devices that handle the non-gaming aspects just as good as this device ever will.If someone wants more than a gaming device, there are better options. Anyone buying this expecting more is going to be disappointed, as I have been for the last 3-4 years in the evolution of Android/iOS, so if you buy this, the gaming aspect needs to justify the $400 total price tag (with accessories) putting it into direct contention with the next-gen consoles. That's a much harder sell at that point.
My comments about Windows/Surface just re-emphasize the fact these toy OSes like Android/iOS are just that, toys that are probably best-suited for gaming, just don't expect it to be a full-featured platform like a Windows x86 based tablet that can do everything. No need to get all butthurt crying about propaganda, when in reality, its the truth.
rampantarmadillo - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
I've posted a couple of tiny comments, focused on your lack of objectivity.. How am I "butthurt"?The market will decide (actually, lots of folk believe it already did).
chizow - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Lack of objectivity, lmao, from someone who can't even acknowledge the very obvious shortcomings of toy OSes like Android and iOS. I simply stated this tablet, like every other Android product before it, will never be as full-featured a solution as a Windows tablet for the reasons I've outlined in more detail when challenged on it.The market has begun to decide, based on the exact devices I was referring to:
http://www.zdnet.com/new-u-s-sales-figures-show-th...
http://www.maximumpc.com/asus_revenue_hit_record_h...
And ads like these hitting my inbox from major etailers further illustrating the shift in consumer/retailer focus:
https://email.microcentermedia.com/PS!tKqVQD4jKosF...
http://www.tigerdirect.com/email/retro/2014/WEBBP2...
Full-featured Win8.1 tablets for $150-$380, who in their right mind would pick an Android device over one of these at the same price points? Sure Shield Tablet has more of a gaming focus, but you better make sure you know what you are getting and why if you pull that trigger, or you'll just end up being disappointed.
rampantarmadillo - Thursday, July 24, 2014 - link
Links to competitor devices? Seriously?Shill.
chizow - Thursday, July 24, 2014 - link
lmao, keep burying head in sand, idiot. Yes competitor devices that further prove my point.betam4x - Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - link
bro, while i'm not necessarily in agreement with anyone else...however you are the clueless guy. Android = Linux. Linux has a far greater hardware/software following than Windows. Just because *you* can't make it work doesn't mean it doesn't work. Just saying.lmcd - Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - link
Android == Linux but Android !===Linuxthere's a reason tons of work was needed to bring real Linux C/C++ libraries in
there's a reason there's an Android Graphics Extensions
there's a reason kernels are all custom
Linux sucks for mobile hardware, and likely will for a while.
Ktracho - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I, too, bought a Surface Pro 3 for my daughter who is going to college in the fall. So how much did yours cost? How well does it do when you play your favorite games on it?chizow - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Nice! I'm sure your daughter will love it. I actually bought mine mainly for my wife who is also going back to school this fall. We originally got her an Asus T100 for the task, but it wasn't quite polished or fast enough for her to be fully satisfied with it. The stylus was the kicker in that respect, but the typepad is also better overall than the T100's mini-keyboard. OneNote and PowerPoint with the Stylus is an absolute game-changer for taking notes, I wish this tech was available when I was in school!I actually haven't tried playing any games on it, but I've read the SP3 handles gaming decently. I'd probably only run Diablo 3 on it to 2-box since that's what I've played the most recently, and I had read the i5 HD4400 runs that with no problems at all. We paid $900 (price matched to Microsoft store) + add'l 10% back in rewards from Best Buy for the i5/128GB variant. Staples also had a 15% off tech coupon this weekend that worked on Surface Pro 3 with an additional 10% rewards from BoA. It is definitely more costly than anything in the Android space, but it also is capable of a ton more too. Very happy with the device, price point is still a bit high, but Microsoft addressed my main gripes about SPro 1/2 (battery life, thickness, screen size).
nevertell - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Well, streaming from a home pc to WAN will never be a mainstream option, as rarely anyone has a static IP, especially gamers who would actually buy a tablet like this. You could make a case for having a dyndns-like service provided by Nvidia, but the fact is, most ISP's in the States and in most of the financially developed countries in Europe are utter crap.chizow - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
@Nevertell, this is probably in response to my request to have streaming enabled from my PC to WAN, it's actually not an issue as long as you have software/firmware on both ends to dynamically handle IPs/hostnames. My Home NAS handles this seamlessly and only uses a web-based authentication system which handles all the IP/hostname handshaking.nevertell - Friday, July 25, 2014 - link
But you won't get a stable uplink from your regular consumer ISP, especially if you do not live right next to a junction box or you have loads of other clients sitting on the same line.Morawka - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
The Technology for streaming your pc games to a tablet is already here. We've been capable of this for over 2 years now, it's just america's horrible internet that holds everything back. And it's not going to get better anytime soon.A optimistic estimate would be 15 years from now. Sure nvidia could make datacenters closer, but we need internet that's capable of 5 Mbps UP AND DOWN and quite simply, only 3-4% of people have a 5 Mbps Upload capability.
chizow - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Well it would obviously be limited to QoS/Bandwidth requirements dependent on ISP, same as GRID being limited to certain markets, or GameStream requiring 5GHz, but yes the underlying tech has been there, it just hasn't been enabled. This would be the game-changer imo for Shield and really differentiate it from consoles and handhelds.I've had access to 5Mbps upstream for nearly a decade and my current ISP (FiOS) has me at at 75/50. Many public WiFi hotspots in my area (Panera, Starbucks etc.) also have at least 15Mbps up and 5GHz WiFi, although I'm not sure they would sustain those speeds when shared among multiple users.
Morawka - Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - link
cell sites offer fast speed but price per GB is outrageus. $15 per GB.The LTE speeds severely break down when there are over 50 people pegging their network.
that is, unless you live in a over populated, area full of smog, noise and light pollution.
Johnny_k - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
1) They have started with half life 2, portal, trine 2, warthunder2) you can already do this. See: http://shield.nvidia.com/gaming-tablet/
>GameStream gaming outside of your home Wi-Fi network is a BETA feature and requires minimum upload and download bandwidth speeds of 5Mbps. Streaming experience may vary depending on the quality of your Internet.
chizow - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Wow, that's awesome!!! It is a very obscure footnote so hopefully more attention/testing is made of this when the reviews go live, presumably next week. *IF* this support spreads to more games and handles the latency decently well, I will definitely be picking one of these up. Probably not at release, but I will probably wait until the new Maxwell GPUs are released and see if they do a Shield bundle like they did last Holiday season.This really has some endless possibilities, maybe one day you could use your Shield tablet/portable as a thin client you could bring to LAN parties, gaming events, meet-ups, trade-shows and leave your PC as a server at home. Throw an ethernet to USB dongle on there for even more reliable internet. Obviously not something for pro/competitive gamers, but this would certainly be appealing to more casual/social gamers.
Drumsticks - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I like it. I don't think it's enough to replace my Nexus 7, but I'll wait for the full review. I'll need to pick up an Nvidia GPU again, but I was planning on doing that soonish anyways.smorebuds - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
If going from Adreno 320 to K1, and having Nvidia streaming features, isn't enough for you, then I guess go ahead and stick with your Nexus 7.dabotsonline - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
"In addition to the stylus features, Nvidia is advertising 1080p Netflix support. Normally, due to the DRM restrictions associated with high bitrate streaming, most Android devices only support low resolution streams. Nvidia has done all of the necessary work to satisfy these DRM requirements, so it supports the highest bitrate available to mobile devices. Of course, this feature will be disabled with an unlocked bootloader, but it’s a good feature to have for mobile streaming."Josh, do you have a link to the Netflix support pages that confirm all of this? All I can find is:
"Netflix HD playback is only available on the new Nexus 7 tablet."
https://help.netflix.com/en/node/237
JoshHo - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
It's likely that the Netflix support pages are out of date. Nvidia stated that they satisfy the DRM requirements multiple times during the briefing.dabotsonline - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Thanks, JoshHo. The Greenbot review said something similar:"There aren't a lot of Android devices that will stream Netflix in 1080p. Google's Nexus 7 (2013 model) and the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S are notable exceptions. Nvidia now joins that elite club with the Shield Tablet, though I suspect 1080p Netflix streaming will be pretty common in the coming year."
http://www.greenbot.com/article/2455096/no-longer-...
It is true that there are no phones that support 1080p Netflix? Last October, with the release of Netflix 5.0, the iPhone only supported 720p Netflix:
"Also, for those fixated on resolution, we checked with the company and confirmed the streams max out at 720p on the iPhone / iPod touch and 1080p on the iPad."
http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/03/netflix-5-ios-h...
Netflix 6.0 was launched on iOS last month. What I think will be interesting is if the iPhone 6 does indeed come in a 5.5" variant with a 1080p+ screen then, unless Netflix change, a 720p stream will be visibly inferior to a 1080p stream on even a 7" tablet.
Josh, you also said, "Of course, this feature will be disabled with an unlocked bootloader... " Does you have a reference for this specifically?
When you write your review of the SHIELD Tablet, can you please try to unlock the bootlader, install Hangouts and Google Dialer (the 4.4.2 version by TKRuzze, not the newer 4.4.3 version), relock the bootloader and see if it functions as a massive phone? In the full specs for the SHIELD Tablet, it says that a few country models of the EU variant will support voice calling by default, but this could be a hacky approach for those who don't have those models if they wish to have a giant, all-in-one media streaming and communication device. Thanks.
TerdFerguson - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Until Android security gets beefed up, I'm absolutely uninterested in an Android gaming tablet - especially one featuring a couple of cameras, networking, and cellular connectivity. I certainly wouldn't be interested in spending $500, including accessories, for a gaming device that is clearly much worse in every significant regard than competing consoles.ams23 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Shield tablet is simply a really fast pure Android tablet (with stylus) that has an optional accessory for gaming (wireless controller). This is not something that should be used exclusively for gaming! Think of this as a very improved version of the Tegra Note 7 (with larger and higher res screen, much faster and more modern GPU, improved second gen stylus, improved Wifi + connectivity, improved build quality, improved heat dissipation capability).chizow - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
As a standalone gaming machine, I would agree, it is still far behind the similarly priced "next-gen" consoles, but it does offer extra value for some as a "PC extender" console with its GameStream functionality. If you look at it that way, you would get a console experience that is better than competing consoles in most regards since you would be leveraging the power and library of your PC.While the GameStream technology is somewhat interesting to me, I would not pay $300 for a PC-extender, the gaming aspect needs to stand on its own to make this purchase worthwhile, and currently, the Android market isn't interesting enough to me until they start getting more console/PC franchise games. There is also another usage group that this device satisfies as an emulator, but that doesn't really interest me either.
smorebuds - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
True, currently the Android gaming market isn't full enough yet. But consoles are no longer the target platform for game developers like they used to be. There is more money to be made with Android/iOS, and it's probably only a matter of time (when mobile hardware truly allows for an Android gaming ecosystem) before the AAA developers start aiming for Android/iOS first--or at least equal to Windows.chizow - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Not sure if that's really the case given current Android games run from $7 to $10 max, most others are free and charge for microtransactions. That's quite a gap from the $50-60 that most big budget AAA titles charge. You're going to have to sell a ton of Android games to close the gap on some of the big sellers you see like GTA5, Watch_Dogs, Call of Duty etc.I think Android's best shot at success is the approach Nvidia is taking with full OpenGL support while closing the hardware gap and porting PC favorites (HL2, Portal etc). If they can slot in where the handhelds left off, with watered down Wii-like ports or 1-gen back ports of popular titles, I think they have a chance to grow the Android gaming platform, but as it is now, there's really nothing compelling that would interest me in strictly Android gaming platform as a user or developer.
At least with the traditional handhelds, you have popular 1st-party franchises or 3rd-party releases and remixes that you would expect on a handheld platform and still hold up well.
smorebuds - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Yes, currently those $7-$10 games are relatively simple and likewise cheaper to produce since the majority of Android gaming is done on phones/tablets. Touch screen gaming can only get so complicated, so what we have now are games tailored toward casual gamers. It's only a matter of time before hardware catches up and Android console gaming (or mouse/keyboard gaming) starts to take off. Or maybe console gaming won't ever make a comeback. Just because those "biggest sellers" cost $50-$60 does not mean they are more profitable, or even better games. And they are becoming few and far between now... I mean, not 5 years ago each quarter would have a slew of new AAA titles to get excited about. Now I can count an entire year's worth on my fingers... My point is that Android gaming is where the money is, and that's always been the most compelling reason for developers' choices of platforms. So it's only natural that once it becomes feasible, you can bet developers will be aiming for Android (and iOS) first. And in the case of small-medium companies/developers that don't have the resources to develop for all platforms... you can already see that decision being made.And don't think I'm anti-MS or anything... I actually like Win8.1 and finding myself defending it against idiots that write off the whole OS because they can't/don't want to adapt to for whatever reason. But unfortunately that has played a role in this whole consumer movement away from desktops and Windows in general. And I hate when people make arbitrary doomsday predictions, but it would seem that if this trend continues, Windows will eventually become just the OS for running legacy applications.
chizow - Thursday, July 24, 2014 - link
Sorry, that just doesn't add up, Gartner estimated Video Game revenues of $100 Billion for 2014. Nvidia says Google Play sees revenues of $250M last quarter (90% games), annualized you are looking at maybe 1.5-2B at best extrapolating growth rates. Singular titles are making more than that in any given year. In any case, there's a long way to go to bridge that gap.I'm also not sure about the number of exciting games decreasing, it seems to me there's so many to choose from I don't even feel compelled to buy more than 1-2 at release because I know they'll just go on sale by the time I am ready to play them.
Anyways, doesn't really have anything to do with Windows in this context, as a gaming machine Shield Portable will really be up against next-gen consoles first (same price point) and against handhelds second (loses here due to weak Android library and lack of compelling 1st/3rd party titles). If anything Nvidia is hoping to piggy-back on the PC market with their various GameStream technologies until Android gaming is strong enought to stand on its own.
TheJian - Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - link
https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2614915Gartner says mobile gaming revenue was 13.2B. Epic games has said they made more from the Infinity Blade series than ALL of the Gears of War series per man hour invested and it only runs on Apple.
"Mobile games are the fastest-growing segment of the market, with revenue set to nearly double between 2013 and 2015 from $13.2 billion to $22 billion (see Table 1)"
Shield's competition is Vita/3DS/Xbox360/ps3. Of course as titles evolve on android and they shrink to 20/14nm yeah then REAL competition for consoles from ALL of mobile. Consoles aren't really portable, and you can't do tablet stuff at all on them (stylus, camera stuff etc, browsing etc, a kid can do some homework etc on these). Many uses past gaming. I expect a DIRECT console box after AndroidL +64bit chips hit and a 125w PSU box ships to directly compete.
Lack of compelling android titles? I'm pretty much ignoring sports/adventure types below (I tend to play strategy/rpg/action) as I am looking forward to playing others below first. I could go on but look at some of these on googleplay and you should get the point. Top paid apps have even more not listed here. Also note 50% of devs at GDC this year (60% last year leading the way) are MAKING games for mobile. Contrast that to consoles all with <20 (and only PS4) making stuff and you see where this is going. PC Now 52% and #1 just above mobile. It's clear even with $2-20 games the 1.2B unit per year sales on mobile is too large to ignore.
World at Arms (check this game out! WOW)
Modern Combat 5: Blackout (again, freaking WOW, android at it's best just hit july 23rd!)
Dungeon Hunter 3 + 4 (gameloft is an awesome DEV, looks like xbox360 games)
Captain America TWS
Rival Knights
Ravensword Shadowlonds (excellent)
Edge of Tomorrow (check out the graphics)
Injustice: Gods Among Us (check out the gameplay, multiplayer too)
Stilland War HD (adventure rpg, June 30 2014)
Asphalt 8
Amazing Spiderman
RPG Spectral Souls (large tactical RPG)
Need for Speed Most Wanted
Six Guns
Dead Trigger 2
Gangstar City
GT Racing 2
SoulCraft 2
Brothers in Arms 2
300 Seize Your Glory
Wild Blood (excellent)
Order & Chaos ONline
Eternity Warriors 2 (millions of installs)
Blazing Souls Accelate
Chaos Rings 1 & 2
Real Boxing
Gangstar Vegas
Bloodsword (very nice!)
ChoplifterHD fron inexile
TaintedKeep (for those adventure rpg types)
Riptide GP2
Gun Bros 2
Modern Combat 1-4
Iron Man 3 (impressive to say the least)
Frontline Commando
Nova 3 (nova 1 & 2 aren't bad either)
Dark Knight Rises:
Shadowgun (still think tablets gaming sucks?)
Gangstar Rio
Bard's Tale (hey, isn't this a CONSOLE game...LOL)
ArmA2: Firing Range (not as impressive, but this was 2011...LOL)
Renaissance Blood
Zombie Driver THD (just updated Aug1 specifically for shield)
Final Fantasy 3
Final Fantasy 6
Asphalt 7
COD Black Ops Zombie game...Who knew?
Great Battles Medieval THD (optimized for Tegra2...still looks good)
smorebuds - Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - link
You forgot XCOM (unless I missed it). Just started playing it and it's like the perfect game for phones and tablets (though Pokemon would take that title if it ever happens).fivefeet8 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I wonder how they are accessing the Full OpenGL spec on Android as I don't believe the new Android extensions even do that. Opens the door for a fully capable Dolphin emulator to run on it though.ArthurG - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I believe Nvidia replaced the default Android OpenGL ES driver by their own full OpenGL version.JoshHo - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
It still runs OpenGL ES, there is clear evidence that the driver for OpenGL is only loaded on application request.kron123456789 - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
So, it actually can working with full OpenGL? I don't think that there is any android device that can do it.Friendly0Fire - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I'm really looking forward to a review from AT as I'm extremely interested by this thing. A vanilla Android experience with stylus support and gaming focus is right up my alley.fivefeet8 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
There is a video on Youtube where it shows there is a track pad on the controller on top of the volume controls. That's interesting as that would help with navigating menus.Hrel - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
So all it has is a controller that plugs in like a console controller? That's stupid. IT's not a portable gaming machine if it's not all integrated into one unit. They should design some snap ons like Razer made so it can actually be a portable gaming device.If it's a good controller though I could see using it on PC at home for certain games.
fivefeet8 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
The controller is wireless. You can also use whatever snap on BT controller available out there that fits the size.smorebuds - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Yeah the pic is a bit confusing. That wire goes from controller to headset, as stated in the article.cashnmillions - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
If I was in the market for a tablet I would definitely go with this. Hopefully they come out with better games for tablets, I haven't really been impressed with any lately. I wonder how well it would do in emulating PS2. Imagine Shadow of the Colossus on a mobile platform like this.hahmed330 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I would love to see some Trine 2 action please....fivefeet8 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
There's quite a few videos on Youtube already with various games including Trine2 running on the new tablet.kron123456789 - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
And not only this tablet. There are few videos with Trine 2 gameplay on Xiaomi MiPad.Wolfpup - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I wonder what clock speed the GPU cores run at... The clocks are probably much lower, but if they weren't, this would be basically half as powerful (for GPU) as my Asus gaming notebook from a few years ago. As it is it's probably more like 1/4, but still.It's GOT to be more powerful (in terms of GPU) than the last gen consoles, right? Kind of cool...of course moot point since they're far better for games.
Wish this thing ran...anything other than Android.
Wolfpup - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Wow, didn't notice the price. While it's certainly fair, even if I wanted a mobile OS as a gaming device (NOT a good choice...) I'd pick an iPad at that price.Alexey291 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
do find me a similar specced ipad at that price o.Okron123456789 - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
I think it's running on full clock speed, that is 950MHz.Ikefu - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I can't help by think this is another bad attempt at a gaming tablet for the same reason all others have failed. No built in controller. If I have a nice table to sit at and can pull a controller out then why am I on a tablet and not a laptop or console? I would love a gaming tablet with dual thumbsticks, ABXY buttons, and shoulder triggers. That I would get. But this seems like just another tabet in a giant sea of them with some extra software loaded on it. I say this mostly because I am disappointed. I want the next gameboy/vita replacement to be a tablet style device with actual gaming input. I really thought NVidia might do it but I've been let down again. Maybe Nintendo or Sony will catch on to this next go aroundams23 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
A built-in controller, unless removeable, would limit the appeal of Shield tablet as a tablet!If you want to use a controller attached to the tablet, see here: http://gamegrip-stgone.com/en/index.php
savagemike - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I think you are on a tablet and not a laptop or console because you didn't want to carry a laptop or console around or perhaps you don't own one. And you hardly need a table. No reason this couldn't sit on the floor in front of where you are sitting on the floor, or sit on the dashboard of a car or hang from the headrest of a car seat for use in the backseat.More to the point if you didn't feel like gaming in any of those situations you could also read an an e-book or do any of the other myriad of things tablets work well for.
smorebuds - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Or play your touch-based games when it's too awkward, and controller-based games when you have access to a table. Since when is being more versatile a bad thing?barleyguy - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I'm probably getting one of these.The sim I want to use is a full size T-Mobile sim (on the $30 5 Gigabyte plan). I can't use a different sim or I'll lose the deal.
So I guess I need to go back and read the article about sim card punchers, and hope I don't screw it up.
So on that note, I really wish the LTE version had a full size sim card. There is definitely room for it, and it's easier to convert up in size than down.
aamir147 - Thursday, July 24, 2014 - link
unlimited lte on tmobile is $30 why wouldn't you wanna lose your deal and get the new one?savagemike - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I am wondering how this will work with Android "L" and also how, if at all, it will relate to "Android TV". It has all the hardware in place to function very well as an "Android TV" box.If software updates bring that capability (to chose between mirroring or Nvidia 'console' mode or 'Android TV' mode when I plug it in via hdmi) then I could see this coming home with me.
Would also very much like to know how the stylus experience compares with the Samsung models.
wintermute000 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
The screen is 1920x1200 so unless you have a 16:10 monitor you'll get black bars. I have this same issue with my Sony XTZ2.NZtechfreak - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
It switches output to 1080p when connected to an external monitor in console mode according to what I've read elsewhere.baii9 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Does this thing play LOL or hearthstone?Astral Abyss - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Both.Willhouse - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I apparently am in the minority, but is there going to be a 10 inch version of this thing or a 10 inch anything with the K1? I don't understand why 7-8" is the hot thing now.barleyguy - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
I agree with you. I currently have a 10" Asus Transformer, and that's about the right size in my opinion. With Asus going 100% Intel (as far as I can tell), someone else needs to make a 10-inch K1 tablet with a keyboard dock.ams23 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Asus still sells the Transformer Pad Infinity (with Tegra 4 inside), but any future plans (if any) with Tegra K1 are unclear and unknown at this time.That said, there are rumors that suggest the next 64-bit Nexus tablet will be 8.9" and powered by TK1.
Alexey291 - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
given the price of this tablet my guess is that they are failing to get oem wins... again...sonicmerlin - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
What I wouldn't give for a Tegra K1 paired with an x86 processor and Windows 8.sonicmerlin - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Given you can run Deus Ex Revolutions on an Intel HD 4000, a Tegra K1 would let you play almost every modern PC game smoothly at low settings.chizow - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - link
Completely agree, a Haswell ULV or even Bay Trail-M based CPU with K1 GPU running full Windows 8.1 in a mobile device would be amazing. It won't happen anytime soon though, but there is the vehicle for it with Nvidia's announcement last year that it would license its GPU IP. We'd need an announcement by Intel followed by at least 2-3 years to integrate it into Intel mobile designs.Valis - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
Next year Nvidia is said to come out with Maxwell in a SoC like this, with Denver CPU cores, the Erista, but sure x86_64 would have have been the best combo to date. Can't get everything you want, I reckon. Maybe in 2016 or so.sonicmerlin - Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - link
AMD would have been in a perfect position to take advantage of this segment. Instead they're floundering about doing absolutely nothing. It amazes me how such a horribly run company manages to avoid bankruptcy.gyuri79 - Thursday, July 24, 2014 - link
Very cool. I am also playing Android games on my tablet and an Xbox One controller with Utorcase https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRDNHSrUas0davendrak - Thursday, July 24, 2014 - link
I really dont know what all the bad comments are about. This tablet has the best bang for buck. Where else do u get:2Gb Ram
Tegra K1 class processor
Stylus
Dual Front Facing speakers
Full HD display
Timely updates
Stock android
Great design
at $299 in mass market? huh
Not to mention
5mp front and rear AOHDR Camera (1080p Video, Twitch streaming)
Direct Stylus
Game streaming
GRID
Full modern graphic software stack compatibility
And best looking mobile graphics
This tablet should be a big seller on the mainstream. Not just for gamers. This tablet really is the best tablet at that cost and probably the best tablet at any cost.
LetsGo - Friday, July 25, 2014 - link
Agree with you.They have covered all the bases.
I will pick one up just to program the GPU I wonder if the driver has the same Nvidia extensions as its desktop counterparts.
So its this or the Mi Pad or the rumoured Nexus 2014 Tab. Eagerly waiting for Anandtech's detailed reviews.
NZtechfreak - Saturday, July 26, 2014 - link
Also agree, people might have different opinions about the merits of this on a purely gaming basis, or in relation to how well it might bridge the gap between desktop and mobile gaming, but I think many aren't giving this its due as a very good Android tablet in its own right (and for a reasonable asking price). Looked at from that perspective, and with the other stuff viewed as additions to a fundamentally sound tablet, I think it's hard to be too critical of Nvidia here.