# Nvidia Shield - streaming PC games to your old Xbox controller!



## Taleran (Jan 7, 2013)

> Nvidia has just unveiled a new handheld gaming system called Project Shield. Project Shield is powered by the Tegra 4 processor and can play console-quality games while still providing a mobile experience. The processor is capable of pushing 4K resolution video over HDMI to external displays. It includes advanced sound processing that Nvidia says rivals Beats Audio-equipped laptops, and a 33Wh battery that provides five to ten hours of play time or 24 hours of HD video playback. It features a 5-inch, 720p Retinal multitouch display with 294ppi pixel density, and has a slot for micro-SD card expansion. The Shield runs Android — pure Android without a skin, as Nvidia insists — and includes Google's apps for Gmail and the Play Store.
> 
> In addition to supporting all of the games available to Android devices and the games in the Tegra Zone, the Shield also has the ability to stream games from a home Windows PC equipped with a GeForce GTX 650 (or higher) graphics card to the handheld device over Wi-Fi, letting users access their library of PC games, including games in the Steam library, while on the go. It access the games on the home PC and run them virtually on the Shield. In the future, Nvidia says that it will add support to stream content from the Shield to a television wirelessly, so you can watch video and play games on your TV display without being tethered by wires. Of course, with support for the standard Android platform, the Shield also has access to the hundreds of thousands of apps that are available in the Google Play Store.
> 
> Unfortunately, Nvidia did not announce a price for Project Shield, but it says that it will be coming to the US and Canada in the second quarter of this year. Either way, it seems that things just got a bit more interesting for both the mobile gaming space and the Android gaming world.




Well that thing looks terrible.


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## Bungee Gum (Jan 7, 2013)

I like it but it lacks a lot of things, mainly a big powerhouse like Nintendo or Sony supporting it with first party games.

It's kind of simple really, just a controller with a screen, but I like that idea especially if it is pulled off well.


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## Hatifnatten (Jan 7, 2013)




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## Velocity (Jan 7, 2013)

Yeah, it's not really a "third" handheld device. It's a first-gen Xbox controller with a screen superglued to it that can play phone games and stream PC games, but only if you have the right GPU in your PC. In other words, it's basically useless.

I mean, if you're going to play a video game on your PC why would you even think of playing it on a five inch screen instead of something at least four times larger? Don't even get me started on how the majority of PC gamers would never use a controller instead of a keyboard and mouse, either.


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## Inuhanyou (Jan 7, 2013)

what a joke. Especially the fact that there's no dedicated games to this thing, what's the point of having one?


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## Death-kun (Jan 7, 2013)

The point is doing what the Vita tried to do and failed at: console quality on the go.

The problem is that it doesn't support all NVIDIA graphics cards, only the 650 and above. 

If the price is reasonable, which it won't be, it would perhaps be a nice buy for someone who already has a rig set up the right way. 

Perhaps if the handheld itself could be used as a controller to play your PC games on the television/computer screen it would have more practical use, but I don't see how that thing can be that comfortable. 

We'll see what the final product is like, though; hopefully that's not the final product.


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## Hatifnatten (Jan 7, 2013)

Death-kun said:


> The point is doing what the Vita tried to do and failed at: console quality on the go.


In no way Vita failed at anything. It's a marvelous system any way around.
There are just no games to play on it. PSP is still getting more new original games than Vita.


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## Taleran (Jan 7, 2013)

The other difference is the screen and the control built together in a way that is actually comfortable to hold. That thing just looks awkward.


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## Death-kun (Jan 7, 2013)

Yeah, I noticed that as well. I hope that screen can be tilted back more or something. 



Hatifnatten said:


> In no way Vita failed at anything. It's a marvelous system any way around.
> There are just no games to play on it. PSP is still getting more new original games than Vita.



Well of course, I have one myself. It's great hardware, but there are no games that really push the system yet... hell, there aren't many "worthwhile" games for the system that aren't $5-10 PSN games.


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## Velocity (Jan 7, 2013)

Death-kun said:


> Well of course, I have one myself. It's great hardware, but there are no games that really push the system yet... hell, there aren't many "worthwhile" games for the system that aren't $5-10 PSN games.



I bought as many retail games for my Vita in its first year as I did 3DS games - six - and they're all worthwhile to me. Well, all except one. That Assassin's Creed game was a bit of a let down.


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## Taleran (Jan 7, 2013)

Historically the Vita had a pretty good launch year for games on the platform. Which is the big point it has only been out a year.


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## Death-kun (Jan 7, 2013)

Velocity said:


> I bought as many retail games for my Vita in its first year as I did 3DS games - six - and they're all worthwhile to me. Well, all except one. That Assassin's Creed game was a bit of a let down.



Was AC3: Liberation a let down? I have it from buying the bundle, but I haven't played it yet. I heard that the experience was made better for a lot of people after the latest update which fixed a lot of the bugs, including the one that broke your game/corrupted your save. 

As for me, I have a lot more 3DS games than I do Vita games. And the 3DS has a lot more worthwhile games on the horizon, while the Vita has... Killzone? Which I've never played, but people are pretty hyped for it. I'm not sure what else is coming out for Vita anytime soon.

I still wish those rumors about Bioshock Vita had any validity to them.

Oh, I just remembered, Black Ops Declassified 2 is coming out this year too.


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## Velocity (Jan 7, 2013)

Death-kun said:


> Was AC3: Liberation a let down? I have it from buying the bundle, but I haven't played it yet.



It just felt soulless with a pretty bland protagonist, and had too many annoying gimmicky minigames.



> As for me, I have a lot more 3DS games than I do Vita games.



Who doesn't? The 3DS has been out a lot longer. 

But let's get back on topic, aye?


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## Death-kun (Jan 7, 2013)

Velocity said:


> It just felt soulless with a pretty bland protagonist, and had too many annoying gimmicky minigames.
> 
> Who doesn't? The 3DS has been out a lot longer.
> 
> But let's get back on topic, aye?



I see. Well, it was free for me, so I'm sure I'll find some enjoyment in it. 

But yes, let's.  

As I said on GameFAQs, I'm hoping that design isn't the final product. Maybe refine it a bit? At least push the analog sticks closer to the edge of the system. It feels like I'll be reaching my thumbs inward just to reach them. 

Well, taking another look at it, it's not SO bad... but it's still bulky as hell.


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## Taleran (Jan 7, 2013)

Velocity said:


> It just felt soulless with a pretty bland protagonist, and had too many annoying gimmicky minigames.



That sounds pretty much like Assassins Creed to me.


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## αshɘs (Apr 4, 2013)

TB did a 3 part coverage over at PAX, for those interested


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## Patchouli (Apr 4, 2013)

Saw that. Actually looks interesting, despite looking kinda stupid. It'd be nice to lay down and play a game sometimes. 

My big worry is that TB said, "this is for big hands." 

I've got some tiny hands.


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## Death-kun (Apr 4, 2013)

I would consider picking one up depending on the price. However, there's no way I'll get one until I update my graphics card, which probably won't be for a while.


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## αshɘs (May 9, 2013)

some benchmarks




I think datas, benchmarks regarding the streaming function will be the interesting parts. How much lag does this have, what about compression etc


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## Awesome (May 11, 2013)

Having a 670 and not wanting to sit at a desk 24/7 gaming with a controller, this looks pretty handy. I might pick one up depending on the price.


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## Bishamon (May 11, 2013)

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## Jake CENA (May 11, 2013)

Sounds like a trap.


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## Bishamon (May 11, 2013)

I never understood the point of mobile/handheld gaming

Why the fuck would I wanna play on tiny-o-vision screen


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## αshɘs (May 11, 2013)

The streaming function is the Shield's most interesting part. I really doubt people consider this a great outdoor handheld alternative.

Then again, the Ouya should be able to stream too at a much cheaper price, but who knows about its quality compared to this.


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## St. YatōKiri_Kilgharrah (May 11, 2013)

Gwynbleidd said:


> I never understood the point of mobile/handheld gaming
> 
> Why the fuck would I wanna play on tiny-o-vision screen



Because you can make great games on handhelds that look better than some console games


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## Bishamon (May 13, 2013)

If said console game is a pile of shit by people who shouldn't be doing games in the first place maybe


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## αshɘs (May 14, 2013)

oh Nvidia 





> The Nvidia Shield, a five-inch portable Android game console that can also stream PC games from a nearby gaming computer, *will cost $349* at Newegg, GameStop, Micro Center, Canada Computers and Nvidia.com when pre-orders begin May 20th.



and why am I not surprised...


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## Naruto (May 14, 2013)

Terrible idea. There are no good Android games.


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## Lishenron (Jan 5, 2014)

I got the Nvidia Shield a couple days back, and I must say, i'm pretty impressed by it. 

For people unaware, it's* $250* now.  

I'll put up some quick  impressions
*Comfort*​- Despite how big  it may  or how awkward it might look, it's actually pretty comfy once you get used to it(which shouldn't take that long but) . In fact, i've taken a liken to it's design.  My main gripe only stems from the D-PAD (but this is mostly in relation to fighters). Hell I have pretty small hands and I'm able to get used to the controller. It's not as bad as you may think, or bad at all  but thats just my view.

*Emulation*​
- I tried out PPSSPP(The PSP emulator for individuals unaware) and  the games I tried out were

**DBZ Shin Budokai AR**- Ran Full Speed

**Tenkaichi Tag Team**- Ran Full Speed as well,  with some minor graphical glitches

**FF Dissidia 012-* The vs  intros flicker a lot. And  the ending of the 012 scenario has a major slowdown. Otherwise? It runs full speed. 

**Guilty Gear Accent core *+*- Like  using the PC version of PPSSPP, it looks bad for some reason.  Otherwise, the game is fully playable.

**Monster Hunter Freedom Unite**- Runs full speed. No issues so far

Although I haven't tried out the majority of the library yet, so far? i'm impressed, especially given how the PSP emulator has come a long way.  Though the PC version  of PPSSPP is still superior for obvious reasons.



 I tried out the  *DRASTIC DS Emulator,* and games such as

*Pokemon Black*

*Jump Ultimate Stars*

* 9 9 9*

*DBZ Super Sonic Warriors two*

And came across no errors whatsoever when playing the games. Infact, it's apparently one of the best DS emulators out there. You can use the buttons, or the touch screen to do what you want. Never came across any limitations whatsoever.

- Other emulators like the SNES,  N64, GBA, etc run pretty well on it. 


Also, apparently a Dreamcast emulator was recently released for Android, and the Shield is compatible with it


*Dreamcast Emulator: *


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## cnorwood (Jan 5, 2014)

Good shit, not bad for $250


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## Death-kun (Jan 6, 2014)

What was the initial price? I might buy one once it's $200.

EDIT: Never mind, it started at $350. I'll try and find one on sale.


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## Kaitou (Jan 10, 2014)

Is this like the Playstation Vita, and it requires you to be close to your PC?


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## Lishenron (Jan 27, 2014)

Well it doesn't really require you to be close  to your PC, but obviously you'll get the best connection and stability possible when being close to your router. It's recoomended you have a router hooked directly  to your PC/Laptop .

Anyway, because of my lack of a PC, I used Splashtop THD( third party app that's an alternative to the required gamestreaming from Nvidia) to get streaming from laptop onto Shield.  working and streamed from my Laptop onto the Shield

These videos are a bit primitive, they were how can I say, Tests and direct captures. 

This is me streaming DBZ Infinite World


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## Death-kun (Jan 27, 2014)

You can use third party software to stream to the Shield even if you don't have the required graphics card?


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## Lishenron (Jan 27, 2014)

Yes, you can. Both Splashtop THD and Kainy work for streaming to Shield, or other Android Devices.


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## Lishenron (Mar 1, 2014)

So for the past month or two, i've been doing some extensive testing mostly with streaming. the above videos were pretty primitive, and i've since  found better methods for the best experience.  Some of what I say might be repeated, but oh well. 

 Let me first say

1*. In order to have the best experience possible, you  should have a DualBand Router that can output a 5GHZ network.*
- Connect your router to your PC/Laptop.
-Connect to the 5GHZ network using your Shield
- Use a Wired connection/ethernet for router-laptop/PC

With this set up? After extensive testing,  as long as I had good connection I had no trouble. Since my router is in the garage,i  bought a cheap one ,set it up as an access point in my room with the output of a 5GHZ signal  , and now I have good connection overall in the 2 story house I live in. Creating a Wifi hotspot  within your PC/Laptop is NOT an effective alternative, so disregard that.

Here is a video of me being in  in another room from where my laptop and router is


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## αshɘs (Mar 25, 2014)

Portal is coming to Shield:


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## Lishenron (Mar 25, 2014)

Since this thread has already been brought up, i'll post some recent updates

- Gamestreaming will officially be coming to  Laptops with Nvidia  GPU's of 660m and up. Will be coming on* April 2nd
*
-Price of Shield is reduced to $200 for april only

-Nvidia is adding official Gamestreaming outside of   your home. You'll  be able to play PC games, as well as PS2/PSP/Wii/GC  and other emulators outside your home!




Edit: *Also, this makes PS3/360 streaming outside of your home possible.  *

Basically, all you'd have to do is wake up your ps3/360 outside of your house, or leave it on. The latter option raises the electricity bill so i'll go into the first option


I asked on a forum, and long story short the idea seems to get a bluetooth dongle to help wake up the Ps3/360. Alternatively, you can use a PSP or a Vita to wake it up via remote play over internet . Then all you'd have to do is gamestream with the nvidia Shield , and then do the required method for streaming, which i posted and outlined above.


In theory, it should work. I'm getting a dongle tomorrow to see if I can wake up the PS3 with my method i've been doing.


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## Enclave (Mar 25, 2014)

Meh, more than I want to spend for something that would amount to nothing more than an emulation machine considering I already have a couple handhelds that I use for that purpose.


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## Death-kun (Mar 26, 2014)

Once it gets down to $150 (which it will, I'm assuming Nvidia has a warehouse full of these things that aren't selling), I'll probably buy one. I'm in no rush since I only have a GTX 570, which doesn't officially support game streaming.


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## αshɘs (May 8, 2014)

Portal is coming out on the 12th and looks like HL2 is coming to Shield too.


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## Lishenron (Jul 18, 2014)

There has been a lot of talk lately about a Nvidia Shield 2 coming out. This is apparently the leaked pic





Of course, whether or not it's real whats been clear is that there have been a lot of talks of a shield 2.(it having K1 chip, 7.9 inch display, etc) I expect to hear an official announcement from Nvidia in a month or 2. In which case, i'll make an official thread on it.


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## Death-kun (Jul 18, 2014)

Is that just the screen, or are they possibly going with touch controls for the Shield 2?


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