Nvidia Shield Tablet Review

Are you a gamer? Do you want to try gaming on different consoles and experience fully the feeling of controlling a whole world in your hands? If you are, then you will want to try this new product of Nvidia – the Nvidia Shield Tablet. Its a very strong alternative to Xiaomi MI Tablet. 

Released in July 2014, Nvidia Shield is said to be built for gamers. Indeed, with its strong configuration and the ability to run many large and amazing games without lagging, Nvidia Shield is really a unique device gamers should not pass. Aiming to give users the experience of “exceptional entertainment”, the tablet has much more to offer, be it a gaming device or an Android tablet. Below is a list of features that you might experience when playing on Nvidia Shield Tablet.

Nvidia Shield Tablet- Design

The tablet is a bit heavy, weighing 390g and having the size of 221 x 126 x 9.2mm. It is not really thick, but quite big for a tablet. However, it is still smaller and lighter than an iPad, and users can still pick it up with just one hand. The device is overall black and comes with a tablet cover. The flip cover acts as a kickstand like that of Surface Pro, and allows you to freely change the angle of the tablet for better viewing when you are playing your games.

The tablet has a frame with integrated magnesium thermal shield to keep it from heating up too much, hence the name SHIELD. The edges are slightly curved to make the tablet more appealing. The bezel ring around the screen makes the display seem smaller that it should be. The back cover has a Shield logo and is made of plastic so it is easy to leave fingerprints there. On top of the tablet is a stylus port, and the stylus is a brush style instead of a rounded tip, which makes navigating on the screen easier. Next to the stylus are the power, volume buttons and memory card slot.

Display –Nvidia Shield 

Nvidia Shield Tablet has a 8’’ display with the resolution of Full HD 1920 x 1200 p and pixel density of 275 ppi. With these specifications, the screen shows images in real, vibrant color. High contrast, saturation accuracy and brightness are assured on the device.

For your gaming experience, the large screen of 8’’ and IPS panel allows wider viewing angles, which is very convenient for gamers. Multitouch feature allows smoother movement on the screen and more fingers to work on a game. When compared to other tablet devices, Nvidia Shield Tablet is great enough.

Performance – Nvidia Shield

The main point of this article is how Nvidia Shield Tablet works with games. Said to be equipped with the world’s fastest mobile processor that is the NVIDIA® Tegra® K1 192 core Kepler GPU and a 2.2 GHz ARM Cortex A15 CPU with 2GB RAM, the Shield is powerful enough. Games run smooth and fast on the tablets with high frame rate. With the front facing audio speakers, clear sounds are produced, enabling a more enjoyable environment while gaming. Moreover, as an Android tablet, gaming on the device can be considered the best option.

You can enjoy standard Android games, games that are specifically for K1 processor and many more. You can also stream games on your PC onto the Shield for more convenient gaming. Games such as Trine 2 are already installed on the tablets to give you first hand experience before diving deep into the great world of gaming.

Over 200 SHIELD-optimized games are there for you to enjoy. Additionally, since the tablet has a strong configuration, other applications that require large memory and high quality movies can be played without problems. For this gaming tablet, battery capacity is also something one should not pass when you are using the device.

The Shield tablet has a 19.75Wh battery, which enables more than 13 hours for web surfing, 18 hours and more for video playing. When you are gaming at full speed and playing those that are optimized for Tegra K1, the tablet will last around two and a half hours. The endurance is like that of a laptop for gaming. Overall, Nvidia Shield Tablet is certainly one of the best out there.

Camera

For most tablets, camera is just a plus since not many people will shoot photo with such a big device. However, the camera on Nvidia Shield is impressive with its front camera. Both cameras have a resolution of 5MP, using OmniVision’s OVT5963 sensor. 5MP with the aperture of f/2.0 are not a very high combination, so with the rear camera you will not do much except taking some fun photos with auto focus. However, the front camera with the resolution of 5MP and an aperture of f/2.8 is more than enough for self-portrait taking, which is a trend on present devices.

Console mode

By switching to console mode you can stream the game onto a HDTV with HDMI support by plugging the device to the TV box. This is convenient for people who want to play on a much larger screen. Your TV will act as the display and you have to use a controller or keyboard and mouse to navigate through games. When connecting to a TV, the app icons and menu are switched to 1080 p display though. Otherwise, you can stream videos to your TV to make it like a home theater.

DirectStylus 2

As mentioned above, the stylus that comes with the Shield is an amazing part. With the brush style, it’s easier to move and slide on the screen than a rounded tip stylus. You do not have to apply much pressure, so your hands will not be tired after using it for a long time. Moreover, the tablet comes with a handwriting recognition keyboard, which enables you to “write” on the screen instead for some fun. There is also an app that allows you to paint on: Nvidia Dabbler. By turning the screen into a simulated canvas, you can use the stylus as if it is a real brush, and start working on your own master piece. Controller Users can attach the Shield with a controller to play as a console.

The game controller does not come with the package, but you can order the Shield Wireless Game Controller to make it a set. Because the tablet and the controller are separated, you will not have to hold much weight in your hands like users have to with the original Shield. Some users will think they do not need a controller, but since the Shield tablet is still a gaming console, controller is an important part. Moreover, the controller has some features which are exclusively made for the tablet. Control mapping features like Game Mapper is installed on the tablet, and you can configure each game and assign buttons for easy access. When you download a game onto your device, it will automatically download the Game Mapper profile; you then can add controller support to your game and start playing to heart’s content.

Nvidia Shield Summary

“If you’re a gamer and you use a tablet, the Nvidia Shield tablet was created specifically for you,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, Nvidia’s CEO. Like he said, the Nvidia Shield tablet is definitely worth it. With this device coming to Malaysia, users will experience a whole new world of gaming on Android tablets.