Nvidia’s Shield Tablet and wireless controller makes a play for gamers

By Michael Lee July 22, 2014

nvidia shield 32gb 4g update tablet — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nvidia’s Shield brand just grew by one, with the introduction of the Shield Tablet, which the company dubbed “the ultimate tablet for gamers.” The 8-inch high-def Android tablet is fitted with Nvidia’s powerful Tegra K1 mobile processor. It also boasts a 5-megapixel front-facing camera that’s meant to appeal to Twitch streamers and support for MicroSD cards as large as 128GB.

Features like the ability to stream games from your PC to your Shield Tablet anywhere in your home, using the same GameStream technology that the original Shield used (assuming your PC has a GeForce GTX 650 video card or higher). The tablet also supports cloud streaming via Nvidia’s Grid service, which is currently still in its beta phase, as well as game broadcasting via Twitch.

Gamers will be able to capture and broadcast their gameplay without the need for additional equipment or software, and with built-in support utilizing the 5-megapixel camera, microphone, and chat overlays, the tablet will be able to be stream to Twitch with no additional peripherals needed. The Verge’s first look at the product says the Twitch integration “works very quickly and simply.” Engadget senior editor Ben Gilbert said in his preview that “gaming on the Shield Tablet is a smooth, easy experience…” and “PC games continue to both look and feel great.” That said, both articles are lukewarm on whether the Shield Tablet will be a success or is entirely necessary.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming

In addition to the tablet, Nvidia also announced the Shield Wireless Controller, which can be paired with the tablet for a more complete gaming experience. The controller is modeled after the first Shield’s gamepad, now known as Shield Portable, with minor adjustments.

The Nvidia Shield Tablet and wireless controller will be released on July 29, with the tablet available in two models: a 16GB Wi-Fi model for $300, and a 32GB Wi-Fi plus LTE model for $400. The Nvidia Shield Wireless Controller will be available for $60.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada which is quite possibly the best city in the world. Graduated from NYU with an MA…

Gaming

Nvidia rumored to be working on Google Stadia support for the Shield

Nvidia Shield google stadia cloud gaming portable tv media hub

One of the companies embracing cloud gaming may be making a pivot to support one of the new kids on the block. The Digital Fix reports, through anonymous sources, that Nvidia will add support for Google Stadia controllers to its Shield streaming device and attempt to “position the new Nvidia Shield as your central Stadia supporting entertainment hub.”

The Nvidia Shield TV is an Android-powered device that serves as a hub for media streaming and the report suggests that a new version of the Shield will be launching around the time Stadia launches in November. It can access Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and more via downloaded apps and is also gaming ready. Through GeForce Now, which is currently in its free beta stage, a user can stream games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Fortnite, and Rainbow Six Siege to enabled devices, like the Shield TV and Shield TV Gaming Edition. The standard version of Shield TV is $180 and comes with a remote while the Gaming Edition is $200 and includes a controller and remote.

Gaming

GTA 5 cheats: codes and phone numbers PS4, PS5, Xbox, and PC

The main characters of Grand Theft Auto V stand side-by-side.

A slam-dunk of a game for the talented developers at Rockstar, Grand Theft Auto V has been out for several years now, but it’s still an extremely popular title. We’re also guessing there’s some renewed interest in the game because the world knows we’re getting a Grand Theft Auto VI in the somewhat-near future. If you’ve ever played a GTA game, you’ll know the going can get a little tough from time to time. This is why it’s nice to live in a world with cheat codes.

Whether you just want to have a ton of fun with unlimited health and ammunition, or you’re seriously struggling with a certain section of the game, we’ve rounded up all the cheat codes you’ll need to know for GTA V, for platforms including PS4, PS5, Xbox, and PC.
How to use GTA 5 cheats
There are a few ways to enter GTA 5 cheat codes. The first and easiest is to use your cellphone. You can open your cellphone by pressing Up on the D-pad. From there, enter the corresponding number, and the cheat will fire. You can also classically input cheats by following a specific button combination. The combinations are the same across PlayStation and Xbox, but we've split them up to account for their different button-naming conventions, so it should feel more natural reading and entering them.
GTA 5 character cheats
Max Health and Armor

Gaming

The best Pokémon games, ranked from best to worst

Sprigatito smelling flowers.

For more than 25 years, developer Game Freak has found a way to reinvent the Pokémon franchise for each new generation of gamers. Both brand-new Pokémon trainers and seasoned Pokémon masters are captivated by these cute (and sometimes scary) little monsters. Maybe it's the drive to catch 'em all that keeps players coming back. Or perhaps it's how adorable these little pocket monsters can be. Whatever the reason, players continue to return to or start exploring the Pokémon franchise.

Between new main series titles that bring new regions and Pokémon into the mix -- like Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, remakes, and spinoffs -- there's a massive library of Pokémon games to choose from. Everyone has their favorites, but some are arguably better than others (just like Nintendo's long-running Metroid and Legend of Zelda series). We divided every Pokémon game into a couple of categories and ranked them accordingly.