Ina Fried

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Nvidia Details Shield, Its $349 Android Game Console

Nvidia on Tuesday offered more details on Shield, its $349 Android-based game console.

The console is powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 4 chip and also packs “a console-grade controller,” a five-inch, high-def multitouch display, speakers, Wi-Fi and the Jelly Bean flavor of Android. It also has 16 gigabytes of memory, GPS, Bluetooth, HDMI output, microSD storage slot and a headphone jack.

“These pieces, put together by a company full of gaming fanatics, add up to an amazing new open platform gaming portable,” Nvidia said. “It’s the best way to play Android games. And because it’s an Android device, it works with both Tegra-optimized and regular Android games — as well as Android apps.”

On top of that, Nvidia also said Shield includes a “beta” feature that will allow the streaming of games from a PC.

Nvidia, which first announced its Project Shield effort in January, said it will take orders starting today for those who had been getting email updates on the effort, with general public orders to begin May 20. It will ship in June and will be sold at Newegg, GameStop, Micro Center and Canada Computers.

Shield is not alone in seeing the opportunity to combine console gaming and Android. The chipmaker is joining a growing field of Android-based game consoles, which includes the Kickstarter-backed (and now venture-backed) Ouya and the GamePop from BlueStacks.

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There was a worry before I started this that I was going to burn every bridge I had. But I realize now that there are some bridges that are worth burning.

— Valleywag editor Sam Biddle