Nvidia has opened up pre-orders for its handheld gaming device, three days earlier than anticipated. Orders for the Nvidia Shield have commenced through the Nvidia website, with retail partners Newegg, Gamestop, and Canada Computer also accepting pre-orders from customers wanting the Tegra 4-powered Android game system.
The Shield uses a quad-core Tegra 4 processor supported by 2GB of RAM, and includes a five-inch 1280×720 multi-touch flip-up display. Running on Android Jelly Bean, the device has 16GB of storage that can be expanded by microSD, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, and Wi-Fi with 2×2 Mimo. Shaped like a standard game controller for consoles, it offers dual analog joysticks, a directional pad, analog triggers, shoulder bumpers, and other game-related buttons.
It is also able to wirelessly stream game footage from a computer using an Nvidia GeFroce graphics card to its display, relaying back button presses or inputs from its microUSB 2.0 port to the computer, and can also display the footage on a standard TV using its built-in mini HDMI output.
Customers ordering the Shield for $349 will have to wait until they can use it, as Nvidia is shipping the controller by the end of June, but will also be bundling in two full games at no extra charge.
