Nvidia Unveils Android-Powered Handheld Gaming System

Nvidia is entering the handheld market this year with an Android-powered gaming machine named Project Shield.

Project Shield is powered by the company’s Tegra 4 mobile processor, allowing for near-console quality experiences. It features a 5-inch 720p Retinal multitouch display, advanced sound processing, and 33Wh battery providing 5-10 hours of gaming per charge. The system has a clamshell design with a full dual-analog gaming controller below the display.

Shield uses a pure install of Android Jelly Bean as its OS, and can download games from Google Play and Nvidia’s own Tegra Zone store. In addition, the new handheld can stream games (including Steam games) via Wi-Fi from home PCs equipped with GeForce 600 series or higher video cards.

No price has been announced yet, but Project Shield is expected to be released in Q2 2013 in the US and Canada.

Source: The Verge