PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Nvidia has announced its handheld gaming system Project Shield at this year’s CES.
Described at a gaming portable for open platforms, Project Shield has the ability to play both Android and PC titles.
Set to be the first Tegra 4-powered device of 2013, Project Shield is an Android-based gaming system, which gives the users access to any game on Google Play. As well as this, the system can stream games from a PC, giving users access to their Steam libraries.
"Project Shield was created by Nvidia engineers who love to game and imagined a new way to play," said Jen-Hsun Huang, co-founder and chief executive officer at Nvidia.
"We were inspired by a vision that the rise of mobile and cloud technologies will free us from our boxes, letting us game anywhere, on any screen. We imagined a device that would do for games what the iPod and Kindle have done for music and books, letting us play in a cool new way. We hope other gamers love Shield as much as we do."
Expected to ship sometime in Q2, the device is basically a console controller with the small screen stuck to the top of it at a 90-degree angle. Let’s hope there’s some flexibility in that screen as a constant 90-degree angle could prove a little uncomfortable.
Although the screen is only 5-inches in size, which may feel a little too small for some PC gamers, it does have 1280×720 HD retinal multitouch display. The inclusion of touchscreen capabilities confirms that you will indeed be able to play absolutely any game on the Google Play store.
Boasting hours of gameplay from a single charge, the Shield comes with the world’s fastest mobile processor, the new Nvidia Tegra 4.
A number of leading game developers are behind the project, with Bill Wagner, chief production officer at Meteor Entertainment, commenting: "Coming from the openness of a PC platform, we love how accessible Project Shield is, and the flexibility it gives gamers everywhere. Project Shield gives us the cutting-edge ability to bring a huge free-to-play PC game like Hawken to the handheld gaming audience."
Epic Games and Ubisoft have also expressed their commitment to the new device.
Check out the Nvidia Project Shield real-time demo below:
Want to receive up-to-the-minute tech news straight to your inbox? Then click here to sign up for the completely free PCR Daily Digest and Newsflash email services. You can also follow PCR on Twitter and Facebook.
