It might not be the household name that devices like the Roku, Chromecast, or Fire TV are, but Nvidia’s Shield TV is still a capable streaming media player, so much so that it made its way on to our list of the best streamers you can buy. Still, if you own one, you might be getting jealous as you see support for Amazon’s Alexa voice-powered assistant popping up on other devices left and right. Fret not, however, as Nvidia has announced that its Android-powered streaming box will be getting support for Alexa control as well.
This follows last year’s introduction of Google Assistant on the Shield TV, meaning you will now be able to choose between it and Alexa, depending on what you’re using elsewhere in your smart home. The new integration is available as an Alexa Skill, letting you navigate your way through the Shield TV and watch your favorite movies and TV shows more easily than ever. There is a little bit of setup before you can get started, though.
Open the Alexa app on your Android or iOS device, then select “Skills & Games” and search for “Nvidia Shield TV.” Select the skill and press “Enable,” accept the terms, and follow the instructions to link your Nvidia account. In order for everything to work, you will need to be signed into the same account on your Shield TV. Finally, just select the various Shield and Echo devices you want to use together.
Once you’re done, you can power on your device by saying “Alexa, turn on Shield.” You can use voice control to control volume and playback, and even specify options with phrases like “Alexa, fast-forward 10 minutes on Shield.” You can also open up apps with phrases like “Alexa, open Prime Video on Shield.”
This isn’t the only cool new Amazon-related feature coming to the Shield TV. Nvidia also announced that the device now supports passthrough of Dolby Atmos audio when watching on Amazon Prime Video. Now in addition to 4K resolution and high-dynamic range, you will be able to take advantage of the hottest object-based surround sound technology as well. For a more in-depth look at what this brings, take a look at our guide to Dolby Atmos.
