- Nvidia is considering a new Shield “if we find something we’re super-excited about”
- Priorities would include VP9 Profile 2 decoding, AV1 and advanced HDR
- Shield can be a relatively ad-free Apple TV 4K rival
10 years is a long time in the tech and TV businesses, so it’s to Nvidia‘s immense credit that its 10-year-old Nvidia Shield is still a much-loved streaming device. According to Nvidia’s senior VP of hardware engineering, Andrew Bell, he’d “love to” see a new Shield TV box. And so would I.
That doesn’t mean a new Shield is imminent, or even happening. But as Bell says, “We’ve played with new concepts for Shield and we’ll continue to play, and if we find something we’re super-excited about, we’ll probably make a go of it.”
Although the Shield range is 10, the most recent model is newer: it was released in 2019. And as we said in our Nvidia Shield (2019) review, it’s a great bit of TV tech that’s part console, part streamer, and completely convincing thanks to its excellent upscaler and powerful processor. But there are still some improvements that could be made – here’s what I’d like to see from a next-gen Shield.
1. 4K 120Hz support
As I wrote last year when the Shield got a 120fps cloud gaming upgrade, the Shield has HDMI 2.0 only plus a now somewhat aged processor, and that limits what it can decode and output; “it has similar hardware to the original Nintendo Switch and is still running Android 11, and while it’s great that Nvidia keeps updating it it does feel that it’s time for a new one – not least because it’s facing ever more rivals.”
Nvidia GeForce Now, its own cloud gaming platform, can do 4K 120Hz, and this is supported in some LG TVs – but the Shield can’t deliver this. A new version with HDMI 2.1 for 4K 120Hz and enough processing power to handle it seems like a slam dunk.
2. Up-to-date wireless connectivity
Other than HDMI and processor updates, the most obvious upgrade points are the Bluetooth (currently 5.0 – newer versions can deliver lower latency) and Wi-Fi (currently 802.11ac – I’d like to see Wi-F 7, of course). And the Android version on the Shield is currently Android 11, so that’s due an upgrade too.
3. Modern HDR and format support
Bell told Ars Technica that for this so-far imaginary device, priorities would include VP9 Profile 2 hardware decoding for YouTube HDR; the AV1 codec; the HDR10+ standard; and Dolby Vision profiles – certainly, the latter two would be high on my list.
5. Keep the software flexibility it has now, so we can beat the ads
The hardware above would bring the Shield up to date, but as important as the hardware is, the Shield’s software matters a lot to its fans as well – and with many platforms’ increasing use of advertising and data collection in the interfaces, the Shield’s current customization abilities are worth highlighting: while it’s not ad-free by any means (it’s Android after all), and I doubt that’ll change, many customers have noped-out on the default interface and gone for options such as the ad-free Projectivity launcher instead.
There’s definitely a committed group who want TV streamers that don’t fill their home screen and browsing spaces with obnoxious ads, which is why I have an Apple TV 4K rather than a cheaper streaming stick – but the Apple ecosystem isn’t for everyone.
While the Shield’s default interface does run ads, having a device where you can turn them off relatively easily is a big plus. So here’s hoping that if there is a new Shield in development, it’ll still be open to customer customization.
4. A much smaller Netflix button on the remote
Unnecessary!
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