Nvidia’s handheld Android game system, Shield, misses its June 27, 2013 release in favor of a now-unconfirmed July launch due to a “mechanical issue,” Nvidia confirms. “We’re grateful for all the enthusiasm that’s been expressed for SHIELD, our new portable gaming device,” product line manager Jason Paul wrote in a blog post. “And we’re eager to get it into your hands. But we won’t do that until it’s fully up to the exacting standards that NVIDIA’s known for. And some final quality-assurance testing has just turned up a mechanical issue that we’re not happy with.”
“The issue relates to a third-party mechanical component, and we’re working around the clock with the supplier to get it up to our expectations,” he added. “We apologize to those who have preordered SHIELDs and to all those who are waiting for them to go on sale. But we want every SHIELD to be just right.”
Nvidia’s Shield is a portable gaming system that resembles a modern-day gamepad with a 5-inch hinged screen attached to it. It runs games using Google’s Android OS and can stream Windows games over Wi-Fi from PCs equipped with Nvidia’s Kepler graphics cards. The price was originally set at $349, but Nvidia recently knocked $50 off the cost, citing fan feedback.
