New Nvidia Shield Android TV preview: Smaller, more capable 4K HDR video streamer

We’ve been huge supporters of the original Nvidia Shield TV since it launched in the UK at the tail end of 2015 and even today it’s the most powerful and capable media streamer on the market.

But that’s only going to remain true for around a week as its replacement will ship from 16 January, priced at £189.99.

That might seem hefty in comparison with some media boxes, but the new Shield TV offers much more than most rivals, and also comes with the newly designed games controller and a dedicated remote control. The latter wasn’t part of the package last year so is very welcome.

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We got to have a quick play with the new Shield TV at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, and our session proved just how capable the machine can be. We played Titanfall 2, which we presume was streamed via Nvidia Geforce Now – the company’s cloud gaming platform that is soon to open up the titles on offer to everything you own on Steam, Origin and other online game stores and services.

There was little or no lag and the graphical fidelity was excellent. The controller was wired, which we presume was partly to stop it going walkabouts and partly to keep it powered-up, but the game seemed just as if we were playing it on a PS4 or Xbox One.

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The controller is much better this year too. It’s more ergonomic, that’s for sure, resembling an Xbox equivalent – save for some stylised shaping around the grips. We’ll be able to get more of a feel for it when we test the machine a bit more, but it’s definitely an improvement.

The box is much smaller than before, but similar styled. It is also compatible with Google Assistant and other smart home systems (SmartThings), so you can use the Shield TV to bark commands for your smart devices and appliances to enact upon. A handy, optional microphone – the Nvidia Spot – will help with that.

We have’t yet seen much of the box’s video streaming talents, but Amazon has joined the mix in those offering 4K and HDR footage, which is a great move. Netflix and YouTube continue as before, but Google Play Movies now offers 4K content too.

We can’t wait to play more with the new Nvidia Shield TV to bring you a full review, but considering the release date, it won’t be long.