When NVIDIA introduced the NVIDIA Shield tablet earlier this year, pretty much the entire gaming community heaved a huge sigh of disappointment. Gamers found out that the device, which sets its sights on gaming and media viewing, only had 16 GB of storage and had no LTE connection.
Now, NVIDIA is heeding calls for larger storage and better connectivity with a new 32 GB NVIDIA Shield tablet that allows players to stream games, music and movies through Twitch via a 4G LTE connection.
"In July, we introduced the SHIELD tablet, the ultimate tablet for gamers, with 16 GB storage and Wi-Fi. The result was a tremendous response from gamers, consumers and the media alike," says NVIDIA marketer Mithun Chandrasekhar in a blog post. "Now, we're offering twice the storage, so you'll be able to enjoy more games, more movies, music and photos, and more of your favorite apps."
The new tablet is available for pre-orders for $399, $100 more than the 16 GB version, and works best on AT&T's 4G LTE network, although NVIDIA says the device is unlocked and works on other networks around the world. AT&T also offers the new NVIDIA Shield with a $100 bill credit but requires that customers sign a two-year contract on AT&T's Mobile Share plan. Retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg, GameStop, and Tiger's Direct and Fry's Electronics, will also be selling the NVIDIA Shield 32 GB version when the slate ships on Sept. 30.
Running on NVIDIA'S latest 192-core Tegra K1 mobile processor, the eight-inch Shield is considered one of the fastest and most powerful Android gaming tablets on the market. It also features NVIDIA'S GameStream technology, which lets gamers stream games from their computers and broadcast their gaming experiences via Twitch.
Aside from the new tablet, NVIDIA also announced a trio of Android titles that are making their first appearance on the Shield slate. These games include Beach Buggy Racing, a kart racing game set in a paradise island, BombSquad, a multi-player game where as many as eight players aim to blow up each other, and Broadsword: Age of Chivalry, a turn-based 3D game that lets players build their own French or English empires.
The original NVIDIA Shield, which supports popular Android games such as Half-Life 2, Portal and War Thunder, was a follow-up to the $59 Shield wireless controller first introduced last year, marking NVIDIA'S initial foray into the gaming market in its effort to connect with end consumers. The overall sales numbers for tablets have seen a dip in recent months, with the increasing demand for large-screen smartphones pushing out the tablets market, but NVIDIA says gaming is a category it expects to remain strong.
