Have you been to the CES Las Vegas that concluded a few days ago? Then you might have seen the NVidia Tegra 4 keynote with the introduction of a gaming device (a real fast one) that uses Tegra 4 ARM Cortex-A15 processor, Project Shield. This is a new gaming handheld gaming device running Android Jelly Bean. The device is a major competition to other handheld gaming systems provided by Sony and Nintendo. Let’s take a close look at the device in this article.
We don’t have the detailed technical specifications available yet. It will be available when the device actually hits the market in a few months from now. What we know is that the device comes with the latest NVidia processor for ARM tablets and smartphones, Tegra 4. And this is a quad-core processor running under ARM Cortex-A15 microprocessor technology, and it has a fifth low-power core that is used to save power. With this particular core, Tegra can manage to get several more hours of operation.
Project Shield has a five-inch LCD IPS screen that can play HD video at 720p. It is expected to have 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB internal storage (besides MicroSD slot). Also, it should have stunning graphics performance for highly demanding games. Remember, NVidia is the leading maker of graphics chips for desktops and mobile computers. One disappointment is that the five inch screen doesn’t support 1080p HD, which is slowly becoming pretty much the standard for today’s mobile devices.
Shield is designed like yesteryear clamshell phones, with a gaming keypad, similar to the one you find on a joystick. Since Shield runs Android Jelly Bean 4.2 version, you can easily get games for the device. All the games you need are there already in the Google Play store. Also, with tie-ups with popular gaming companies, Gameloft, EA, Epic Games, etc., the project will not have any problem getting newest games. Also, it may turn the table with iPhone, which gets most of the new games first in its app store.
NVidia Shield’s graphics performance is based on GeForce engine itself, although we don’t know the exact GPU specifications yet. In the keynote for Tegra 4, NVidia chief has told us Shield should include GeForce card having an impressive 72 cores.
One of the major issues with a lot of gaming systems out there is the battery performance. NVidia, however, has already promised over 20 hours of usage with Shield. We have to wait till the device hits the market to see whether it performs according to the promise.
Conclusion
We have yet not got any idea of the price of the device. The launch date is also not confirmed. However, all we can say is this. This devic could really revolutionize gaming on Android systems when it hits the market. This is the first ever full-fledged Android gaming console, and it is big.
Author Bio:- Laurel Shah Williams is the associate editor for Blue Bugle technology magazine. Here is more information about NVidia Tegra 4.
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