Hadley Simmons / Android Authority
Nvidia launched its only Shield tablet in 2014, which delivers a gaming-centric experience and powerful internals for the time. The company has since been associated with the Shield TV series of Android TV devices, however.
We wrote an opinion piece last week calling for a rebooted Shield tablet, but do you share the sentiment? We posted a poll inside the article, and here are the results.
Do you want to check out a new Shield tablet?
Result
This was a popular poll after we posted it on June 18, garnering over 4,300 votes. Most popular option? Well, 80.59% of respondents said they’d really like to see a new Nvidia Shield tablet, making it a winner by a landslide.
We can understand why you’d vote for this option, as Nvidia’s current Android devices enjoy a healthy level of power, a ridiculously long commitment to software updates, and tons of multimedia features. And all of these factors sound like a good idea for a tablet. The tablet-centric overhaul of the Geforce Now platform (along with other game streaming services) and Android only make for an even more interesting prospect.
related: Google Stadia vs Geforce Now – Which Is Right For You?
Meanwhile, 15.71% of surveyed readers say they are looking forward to features and/or pricing. That’s obviously important, because something like a $1,200 Android tablet without any redeeming features will be a tough sell for Nvidia.
In the end, only 3.7% of respondents said they don’t want to see a new Nvidia Shield tablet. At least one reader suggested that an x86-powered tablet would be a better idea than a traditional Windows tablet. Another reader conceded that Android tablets still have a long way to go.
notes
- Yassin Maamoun: I got my Shield tablet back in November 2014. It was incredible, the gaming experience was top notch considering the limitations of the time. Would be very interested in a rebooted version. I can see it being very successful if they increase the screen size to 9-10″, bundle in a few months of Geforce Now, and add refreshed versions of the stylus and wireless controller that were available with the first one ( both of which were very good). This will be a very handy sell for college students, they can use it to take notes in class, and play on it in their spare time.
- GammaRayTech: Wasn’t the Shield the first device with a screen built into the controller? I believe it had a cooling fan for the Tegra 3 chip inside? This is when Android devices and tablets were fun! Right now I’d probably prefer that Nvidia release a Windows tablet sporting an x86 APU. The Google Store has really average games at the moment. At least in the days of Tegra, shield devices had their own suite of games optimized to run on their specialized hardware.
- 10basetom: I don’t think so. It’s not a good time for any tablet not made by Apple. The tablet experience on Android leaves a lot to be desired.
- Daniel: Steam Deck. AMD slaps Nvidia straight in the face with this hand. There’s room in the portable market, but “just another” gaming tablet won’t stand a chance against the Steam Deck. Nvidia will have to come up with something innovative, but I don’t think so when it puts zero effort into keeping the Shield tablet relevant.
- Bret: I think the world has always cared about tablets. And Google only cares because it has a new device coming out to sell. I guess it wouldn’t be doing much with the tablet if it wasn’t coming to anything.
- Bunny: Doesn’t it make more sense as a handheld? Like the Nintendo Switch, which has the same SoC as the Shield, everything else you need for the game? Or Steam Deck? Or pairing controllers, to hold your phone to one of the other different Android handhelds or devices? The appeal here will be to support the device for a long time. The problem is, at the potential price point… there are a ton of options out there and a new Android offering might not hold up.
notes