It’s not just Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo that have a console, and if you like gaming, Nvidia’s option is coming to Australia, too.
Consoles come in all shapes and sizes, but primarily, they’re there to run games. Take Nintendo’s Switch, one of the smallest of the bunch, and one you can take with you or set next to the TV and run it on the big screen.
You get your Switch games from Nintendo and the video game selection at your nearest store, and that’s similar to the way things are done with the Xbox and PlayStation, only replace “Nintendo” with the respective console manufacturers.
Mobile is the other big area where gaming is to taking off, and smartphones are to thank for this. Unsurprisingly, mobile gaming is big business, but it’s not always easy to take those games back to the TV, back to the big screen where the entertainment is typically centered around.
And yet there might be a way, as Nvidia reveals its Android TV based device made for gaming is on its way to Australia.
Folks who own an Android phone may have access to a lot of Android games, and that’s primarily where Nvidia’s Shield TV is focused around, a gaming console of sorts that delivers GeForce graphics-class gaming to the Android environment.
That means all of the games you might play on an Android mobile and tablet will run on this console, complete with compatibility for a 4K HDR TV, meaning smoother graphics.
Nvidia’s Shield has previously been a tablet console, but in the Shield TV, the focus is on sitting at home and bringing the mobile phone gaming experience to the big screen, which these days can encompass some pretty big games, too.
It’s not just an Android experience, either, as Shield TV supports Steam’s Big Picture mode, allowing PC games to be played through the Nvidia console.
“The past five years have seen Australian’s viewing habits change dramatically,” said Nvidia’s Greg Arthurton.
“The stars have aligned with the rise of on-demand television, growing 4K TV adoption, and an increase in 4K content from app providers, making it the right time to bring Shield to market,” he said.
There’s also something else, because with Android powering the Shield, the console is also technically a smart TV interface. Android TV runs natively here, and that means the Shield delivers Google Cast and Android apps, such as Stan, Netflix, and the numerous Australian TV channel apps, too.
Pricing in Australia will see the Shield start at $249 locally when it arrives next month, complete with either a remote or a game controller and remote depending on where you find it and how much you find it for.
