A few days ago, Nvidia, a major player in mobile processors and graphics development, unveiled a portable gaming system called project Shield. This is something similar to a hybrid gaming system like the Razor Switchblade, which this page reviewed last year. However, Shield is designed with a greater emphasis on mobile gaming. The system is fully integrated with Android and could reasonably herald the future of mobile gaming, so there is every reason to be optimistic about this project.

 

This is still in its development stage, hence the specific features we see now maybe slightly modified in final production version. Moreover, Shield refers to the development product name, so the name of the final product might also be different. 

 

Like most gadget previews, we can only gleam a limited amount of information. So I’ve gone around looking at interviews with Nvidia officials and the official website for Project Shield, to what exactly this has to offer. There is quite a bit of technical information but we would have to wait for the final product to actually get a good idea of the interface and hands-on quality of the product.

 

 

 

 

 

Technical details 

 

 

Custom 72- core NVIDIA GeForce GPU Quad-Core A15 CPU

Console-grade controller

5-inch 720p retinal multi-touch display 

Integrated Speakers

802.11n 2X2 MIMO game-speed Wi-Fi

Android Jelly Bean 4.2

 

 

Shield features a 5-inch 720p retinal multi-touch display attached a controller that looks very much like a standard Xbox 360 controller, but only slightly heavier. The entire thing is a clamshell design similar to a ultra-small notebook computer. Like the Razor Switchblade, this makes portability and screen-protection easier but Sheild might feel a bit uncomfortable to stuff inside a pocket due to its console-like design.

 

 

 

 

Underneath the hood, Shield uses a custom Custom 72- core NVIDIA GeForce GPU Quad-Core A15 CPU, which is touted as the fastest mobile processor in the world. Thus, the game should be able to handle high-end games. For audio output, it features a set of integrated speakers.

 

Shield also boasts 802.11n 2X2 MIMO game-speed Wi-Fi because one of its coolest features (game streaming) depends heavily on a Wi-Fi connection. 

 

 

 

Interface and features

 

 

 

 

Since Shield is designed for mobile gaming, it has adopted Android Jelly Bean, which is the latest and greatest version of the OS. It also means that users will still have access to all their favourite Android apps, and while users won’t be able to make phone calls or text, it would still be useful for playing Android games, watching movies, surfing the web, etc.

 

Game Streaming is probably the most attractive feature of the system and promises to allow users to stream games from their PCs to their Shield console. However, as with all things Wi-Fi, there are a many limitations, especially with regards to the risk of latency, which is a serious problem for professional gamers but should be just fine for the rest of us. 

 

 

 

 

Another issue is the fact that to use the Game Streaming feature players must also have a GeForce GTX 650 or later. Therefore, if you are a AMD/ATI owner you are not going to be able to use this system.

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

Overall, Shield promises some revolutionary features that could enhance portable gameplay in ways that have not been approached by rival systems like Razor, Sony or Nintendo.

 

The great thing about the device is that it makes a genuine attempt to take a stab at what the future of gaming is going to inevitably look like. Therefore, the inclusion of a superb mobile gaming processor and the latest version of Android is a wise a combination.

 

Unfortunately, the biggest potential problem regarding Wi-Fi connectivity and reception associated with the Game Streaming function needs to be addressed to make it more attractive. Finally, there are the great unknowns, including the price and battery performance, which could just as easily change our minds about the product entirely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Navam Niles