nVIDIA SHIELD™ Portable 2 - Coming soon?

[Jumpman]

Don't even know why they made that controller. There is already lots to choose from. I wonder if there is more to the story. I know Nvidia have said they have a reference Android TV game console for OEMS to produce (when ATV is released by Google). Could have been primarily developed for that.

There are other controllers out there, but by offering a "gaming" specific tablet, I feel it's mandatory for them to have their own game specific controller. I'm sure it will have more uses down the line for other ventures as well.

Why shouldn't Nvidia make some money in this area as well? They seem to be doing more for portable/android gaming than anyone else, so if they can sale a decent controller and make a few bucks, why not? I just hope they get more publishers on board for future releases to have better physical control options.

I'm really curious to see what Nvidia can do with a S2 redesign. I know a bigger screen will be mandatory, but a sleeker overall device would be really nice.

Chris

 

[SNESFAN]

that controller is said to be one of those ultra low latency wireless controllers, last I checked there were only like 2-3 out there boasting that.

I never tried one before, but normal bluetooth latency has turned me off from using them entirely for gaming. I'd like to do a hands on first before buying the controller. Not interested in another tablet though.

 

[Jumpman]

Well, over at NeoGAF the opinions seem to be way better for the tablet than the OG Shield. I'm far from knowledgeable in regards to the latest and greatest tablets, but everyone seems to agree this is hands down the best 8" choice for the price, and should be for a long time to come.

Hopefully Nvidia can keep up with the demand, and keep consumers happy. They have great CS, or at least they did, so hopefully EU and other regions have good experiences. It's nice to see a company with real "gaming" in mind. 

How anyone is still paying Apple for their overpriced and under-powered devices is beyond me. This tablet should do very well, and help to expand the brand in the future. This is really nice to see.

Chris

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

Who the hell would take this tablet and the controller on the bus and play in public?  That person would look stupid.  I still haven't seen a soul playing the Shield in public even though it has the controller built in, either on the train, on the bus, on the airplane, etc.   How can NVIDIA call this a mobile gaming device while you can't take it outside of your house.

 

[Jumpman]

Who the hell would take this tablet and the controller on the bus and play in public?  That person would look stupid.  I still haven't seen a soul playing the Shield in public even though it has the controller built in, either on the train, on the bus, on the airplane, etc.   How can NVIDIA call this a mobile gaming device while you can't take it outside of your house.

Yeah, it's a gaming tablet, but the form factor pretty much means it main use is in the home. The original Shield wasn't very portable, but is was portable in a pinch. I could throw it in my back pack, or my passenger seat and play it while waiting to pick up my son from school, or at a friends house, or Dr. office.

I see your point, but the tablet market is so huge, and I guess "options" are the consumers friend, so somebody will like this set up. For me personally, it's rather useless, because if I'm gonna set this up on a table, why not just turn on my PC, or console? And if I'm sitting on the couch, or lying in my bed this tablet controller combo is useless, and I'm gonna use my Shield1, 3DS, Vita ect. So this isn't my cup of tea, but considering how many tablet buyers there are out in the world, this is a beast of a tablet, and having the option for a high end gaming experience can't hurt.

Chris

 

[vcoleiro1]

This isn't replacing the Shield Handheld.  This is an additional product to the Shield Family.

So no, you wouldn't (controller based) game on the bus with it, becuase thats not what its intended for, the Shield handheld which remains, is intended for that.

The tablet is just that, a tablet which will allow you to game at home with a controller, but primarily is , well, a tablet

 

[Garrett]

Digital Foundry's recent hands on

I'm kinda interested..  what would seal the deal for me would be how usable/capable (or not) it would be as a second ultra portable console/emulation station when hooked up to a TV.

Regardless I'd still be waiting for the 64bit version.

 

[vcoleiro1]

I must admit Nvidia are not helping themselves with the confusion regarding whether the tablet is replacing the handheld.  A lot of tech site write up's are writing it up as if its a replacement and sort of bagging it in that light.

To try and address the issue, Nvidia later announced that they will still be supporting the current Handheld. And that this tablet isn't a replacement.  Although , in itself, that doesn't really sort things out.  It still doesn't answer the fundamental question as to whether there will be a Shield 2 handheld.  They really need to just come out and say, yes, we are still planning on launching a Shield 2 handheld at some point. (or not). Maybe they don't want to say this because they fear it will take sales away from the current Shield until then - (people will wait for it) - sure is causing a lot of confusion though amongst the tech write ups

 

[Jumpman]

I must admit Nvidia are not helping themselves with the confusion regarding whether the tablet is replacing the handheld.  A lot of tech site write up's are writing it up as if its a replacement and sort of bagging it in that light.

Well, based on what I've seen there's the Shield "Tablet" and the "Portable". Similar to the iphone, ipad, iwhatever the **** Apples is doing currently. The Shield's are similar, but have a different form factor.

Nothing more, nothing less. The ads I've seen include both, so it seems pretty clear to me that they are different from one another, and that one doesn't replace the other. I'm sure if this new tablet takes off(which it should), we will see a new portable & tablet upgrades down the line, as this is just how standard tech works.

Now for Nvidia to release updates to either anytime soon, there kind of only competing against themselves, as their tech is so far ahead of the competition, there really isn't a major reason to release upgraded hardware for competition purposes. I mean the first Shield is way cheap now, and other Android devices are just matching what it offered last year, so I'm sure they won't be releasing new hardware annually like Apple, but we should see some form of upgrade every few years or so, at least once competitors start to catch up. Time will tell I guess.

Chris

 

[Nintendo]

 

[vcoleiro1]

I must admit Nvidia are not helping themselves with the confusion regarding whether the tablet is replacing the handheld.  A lot of tech site write up's are writing it up as if its a replacement and sort of bagging it in that light.

Well, based on what I've seen there's the Shield "Tablet" and the "Portable". Similar to the iphone, ipad, iwhatever the **** Apples is doing currently. The Shield's are similar, but have a different form factor.

Nothing more, nothing less. The ads I've seen include both, so it seems pretty clear to me that they are different from one another, and that one doesn't replace the other. I'm sure if this new tablet takes off(which it should), we will see a new portable & tablet upgrades down the line, as this is just how standard tech works.

Now for Nvidia to release updates to either anytime soon, there kind of only competing against themselves, as their tech is so far ahead of the competition, there really isn't a major reason to release upgraded hardware for competition purposes. I mean the first Shield is way cheap now, and other Android devices are just matching what it offered last year, so I'm sure they won't be releasing new hardware annually like Apple, but we should see some form of upgrade every few years or so, at least once competitors start to catch up. Time will tell I guess.

Chris

Yes I know the tablet doesn't replace the handheld.  The thing is , a lot of tech sites don't know that.  Yes they must have seen the slides with both tablet and shield on them. But never the less they still seem confused.  It didn't help that Nvidia came out and said they would continue to support the current Shield in  response to whether there will be a shield 2 - ie strange response to the direct question.  The engadget story for example rippped the tablet  up as a poor excuse for a replacement.   Thats the reality of it, confusion, whether what they put out under analysis seems clear or not.  It really doesn't help sales of your new tablet product, if major tech site reviews are ripping it up as poor substitue for the handheld becuase they believe thats what it is. They should be giving it praising reviews as a tablet.  Poor reporting in that they didn't delve into some analysis and ask Nvidia directly to clarify things - probably - but the reality is what it is.

The confusion now even after the Nvidia Blog update (which said the tab wasn't a replacement to the current handheld which will continue to be supported) is whether the current Shield handheld will be the last of its form. And this tablet is the new and only thing moving forward along with support for the current handheld.  ie even if the tablet doesnt replace the handheld, if the current handheld is the last of its form, then it pretty much amounts to the same thing. 

Yes I believe the handheld will get an update with a K1 , probably the 64 bit K1. But my point is Nvidia have an issue they need to address with the press before it ruins the launch of their tablet.

In regards to the controller, personnally I dont think a controller designed with the use for its tablet would sell enough to be profitable/justify its R&D...  Thats why I mentioned the fact that Nvidia have designed an ATV reference console - with presumably that exact controller. ie the controller makes sense if they had designed it for a dual purpose. There will be a big demand for it for ATV consoles which will justify it. Might as well launch it for the tablet while they wait for ATV's to launch -  ie what I think Nvidias mind set would have been.  But hey, just my opinion

 

[thatgui]

that controller is said to be one of those ultra low latency wireless controllers, last I checked there were only like 2-3 out there boasting that.

I never tried one before, but normal bluetooth latency has turned me off from using them entirely for gaming. I'd like to do a hands on first before buying the controller. Not interested in another tablet though.

The Wii(U) uses Bluetooth for the controllers, seems to work fairly well - or do hardcore gamers wrinkle their nose about it ?

Who the hell would take this tablet and the controller on the bus and play in public?  That person would look stupid.

Oh, there must be millions out there - at least that was the impression I got when the Pandora hit several review sites back then. Either the reviewer itself stated it or someone in the comments mentioned that the Pandora would fail because they could do the same with either their tablet + controller or with their notebook.

I still haven't seen a soul playing the Shield in public even though it has the controller built in, either on the train, on the bus, on the airplane, etc.   How can NVIDIA call this a mobile gaming device while you can't take it outside of your house.

Isn't this a bit unfair ? I don't know wether the Shield was a success or not (in its scale), but isn't this just a matter of probability ?

 

[rygD]

Editamn, that controller is as butt ugly as the Shield Damn, this was Nvidia's chance to make a sleeker and more form fitting controller(since it no longer needs everything inside it), and they made a controller that pretty much keeps the same fugly ergonomics. I'm not to hopeful of the Shield 2 looking much better than the first.

Are the shield and this controller uncomfortable to use or just ugly?  If they knowingly went with something that looks kinda meh (imo) but it feels good and works well I think it was a good choice, and they may have been silently making a statement like "If you want the best mobile gaming experience, here it is, but if you want pretty stuff stick with what you have".

that controller is said to be one of those ultra low latency wireless controllers, last I checked there were only like 2-3 out there boasting that.

I never tried one before, but normal bluetooth latency has turned me off from using them entirely for gaming. I'd like to do a hands on first before buying the controller. Not interested in another tablet though.

Bluetooth latency is one of the the 3 reasons I don't use it with mobile devices.  The other 2 are somewhat security/privacy related.

Yes I know the tablet doesn't replace the handheld.  The thing is , a lot of tech sites don't know that.  Yes they must have seen the slides with both tablet and shield on them. But never the less they still seem confused.  It didn't help that Nvidia came out and said they would continue to support the current Shield in  response to whether there will be a shield 2 - ie strange response to the direct question.  The engadget story for example rippped the tablet  up as a poor excuse for a replacement.   Thats the reality of it, confusion, whether what they put out under analysis seems clear or not.  It really doesn't help sales of your new tablet product, if major tech site reviews are ripping it up as poor substitue for the handheld becuase they believe thats what it is. They should be giving it praising reviews as a tablet.  Poor reporting in that they didn't delve into some analysis and ask Nvidia directly to clarify things - probably - but the reality is what it is.

If people are too stupid or aren't paying attention in their reporting there is only so much nvidia can do to set them straight, and I am sure they have people who get paid very well working on it.  I see this type of stuff too often and just hope that somehow the mindless herd (moo) of consumers can figure it out themselves.  I personally don't care what a corporation, reporters, or the masses say.  These do not influence my opinions or purchases.

 

[vcoleiro1]

If people are too stupid or aren't paying attention in their reporting there is only so much nvidia can do to set them straight, and I am sure they have people who get paid very well working on it.  I see this type of stuff too often and just hope that somehow the mindless herd (moo) of consumers can figure it out themselves.  I personally don't care what a corporation, reporters, or the masses say.  These do not influence my opinions or purchases.uase they believe thats what it is. They should be giving it praising reviews as a tablet.  Poor reporting in that they didn't delve into some analysis and ask Nvidia directly to clarify things - probably - but the reality is what it is.

It's not really a matter of people being stupid.  Everyone was expecting the Shield 2. Then the Shield tablet leaked. Everyone it seems assumed that it was the Shield replacement (naturally) - including most people in this thread.  The only thing to suggest that it wasn't the replacement was a single line I picked up on in one of the leaked slides that said "The newest member of the Shield family" - which to me suggested it was an addition not a replacement. I can see why most people would have missed that single line.  Then Nvidia launched the tablet , there was only this line in all of the launch material :

As SHIELD tablet joins the SHIELD family, our continued support of SHIELD portable won’t waver. Gamers can expect an over-the-air update to hit on July 29, bringing SHIELD wireless controller compatibility, along with the new SHIELD Hub and Netflix HD. Look for more details in the coming days. - See more at: http://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2014/07/22/gamers-deserve/#sthash.IOzMo7nT.dpuf

This in itself was confusing as it kind of gives the impression that hey, the current shield support will remain .  And?.  is the question it springs. Will there be a shield 2?  


Then they released a blog post addressed at the confusion, which just said again that they are going to support the current Shield.  That's hardly an answer to will there be a Shield 2.  And just added to peoples confusion.  As it stands , they still have not given a clear message as to whether there will be a Shield 2.  I believe there will be. But that's just my gut feeling.  

 

[rygD]

They may not be sure if they will release the shield 2 yet, so they aren't commenting on it.  What I meant was that they said at least twice that the shield portable will continue to be supported.  They have not announced it is being discontinued in favor of the tablet, and they have not said a successor is being made.  To me, who grew up with a Game Boy that didn't get any real design changes for 7 years, and the first major upgrade at nearly the decade mark, that means exactly what is being said, until something else is announced.  Everyone just needs to calm down and cool off.

 

[Klumpen]

I wonder what the battery life in normal use and the weight will be.

 

[Nintendo]

@vic


"The newest member of the Shield family" actually means that it the newest member of the Shield family.


The family will ONLY (till next year, maybe) consist of the Shield and the Shield tablet. That's it.

 

[vcoleiro1]

Your telling me, what I reported already myself. In fact I was the first to point the family thing out in this thread and suggest it as evidence there will be a Shield 2 handheld.. This isn't about what I believe


In all the leaked material, and there was lots, the family thing was only mentioned in only one line. So I can understand why the press and everyone else it seems thought it was a replacement. Just go back a few pages in this thread and see people here saying the same thing.


Thats what they came into the launch with, most people and the press thinking it was a replacement. The launch material had one line saying they would continue to support the current Shield. One line(which still didn't clear up a S2 happening or not) in all the launch material to turn the confusion train that had already built up steam. It was not surprising that a lot of tech sites including Engadget wrote stories like this before launch: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/02/nvidia-shield-tablet/ and this after launch:: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/22/nvidia-shield-tablet/ or this http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/07/nvidia-shield-tablet-an-android-tablet-with-a-game-console-inside/


Nvidia then picked up there was confusion and saw that people were then asking if there would be a Shield 2. They responded in a later blog post saying they would continue to support the current Shield and provide software updates for it. That only sparked more confusion , as it skirts the question and puts doubt in the mind.. I'm sure there is reasons they dont want to say anything about a Shield 2 - perhaps because as soon as they do, people will stop buying the shield one and wait for #2. But it doesn't stop the fact that there has been this confusion and that the press are damaging there Tablet launch with stories like the Engadget one above - ie a story saying its a replacement and then judging it harshly for that. The thing is, if you have confusion over the S2 that is damaging the launch of your Tablet, I'd clear the confusion. Because at the end of the day, Nvidia would be looking to sell more of that tablet than the Shield handheld by probably a factor of a 100.

 

[Nintendo]

Jen-Hsun had truly fucked up with his decision making.

 

[rygD]

Thats what they came into the launch with, most people and the press thinking it was a replacement.  The launch material had one line saying they would continue to support the current Shield.  One line  in all the launch material to turn the confusion train that had already built up steam.  It was not surprising that a lot of tech sites including Engadget wrote stories like this after launch :http://www.engadget....-shield-tablet/

From your link:

With Shield Tablet and Gamepad, NVIDIA is expanding its line of consumer products by two. The original NVIDIA Shield becomes "Shield Portable" and, NVIDIA says, it'll remain in feature parity with the new Shield Tablet for the foreseeable future.

Edit: /me is confused about confused people writing articles