Tegra 4 wasn't the only major announcement made by NVIDIA at its pre-CES event. The company also announced Project Shield, an Android-based handheld gaming system, that is set to be the first Tegra 4-powered device to hit the market in Q2 2013.
Project Shield is a pure-Android device, with access to Google Play, in contrast to other Android-based gaming devices announced so far, like
GameStick and OUYA, which will ship with custom, gaming-focussed stores. This means you can install and run regular Android apps with minimum hassle.
NVIDIA's Project Shield sure boasts of some impressive specs. With the
power of Tegra 4 beneath its wings, the console is likely capable of handling whatever you throw at it, including playing 4K video. It comes with a 5-inch, 1280x720 HD retinal multitouch display and built-in speakers to offer the portable console experience.
Project Shield can also stream games from a PC powered by NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPUs, accessing titles on its STEAM game library over Wi-Fi.
"Project Shield was created by NVIDIA engineers who love to game and imagined a new way to play," said Jen-Hsun Huang, co-founder and chief executive officer at NVIDIA. "We were inspired by a vision that the rise of mobile and cloud technologies will free us from our boxes, letting us game anywhere, on any screen. We imagined a device that would do for games what the iPod and Kindle have done for music and books, letting us play in a cool new way. We hope other gamers love Shield as much as we do."
Developers like Ubisoft, Epic Games and Meteor Entertainment are committed to deliver an experience optimised for the Project Shield device. It is expected to ship in the US Q2 this year, with no pricing details shared as yet.
In pics: Best of CES 2013