You really want a new Nvidia Shield Tablet

Nvidia launched its only Shield Tablet back in 2014, offering a gaming-focused experience and powerful internals for the time. The company has stuck to its Shield TV series of Android TV devices since then, though.

We wrote an opinion piece last week calling for a rebooted Shield tablet, but do you share this sentiment? We posted a poll inside the article, and here are the results.

Do you want to see a new Shield Tablet?

Results

This was a popular poll, attracting over 4,300 votes after we posted it on June 18. The most popular choice? Well, 80.59% of respondents said they do indeed want to see a new Nvidia Shield Tablet, making it the 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 plenty of multimedia features. And all of these factors sound like a good idea for a tablet. The Geforce Now platform (along with other game streaming services) and Android’s tablet-focused overhaul only make for a more intriguing prospect.

Related: Google Stadia versus Geforce Now — Which one is right for you?

Meanwhile, 15.71% of polled readers say they’re waiting for features and/or pricing. This is obviously important, as something like a $1,200 Android tablet with no redeeming features would be a tough sell for Nvidia.

Finally, 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, in line with traditional Windows tablets. Another reader reckoned that Android tablets still have a long way to go.

Comments

• Yassin Maamoun: I got my Shield tablet way back in November 2014. It was incredible, the gaming experience was top notch given the limitations of the time. Would be very interested in a rebooted version. I can see it being very successful if they up the screen size to 9-10″, bundle in a few months of Geforce NOW, and add refreshed versions of the stylus and the wireless controller that were available with the first one (which were both very nice). It would be a very easy sell to college students, they can use it to take notes in class, and game on it in their free time.
• GammaRayTech: Wasn’t the first shield device the one with a screen built into the controller? I believe it had a cooling fan for the tegra 3 chip inside it? That’s back 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 back in the Tegra days, the shield devices had their own suite of customised games to run on their specialised hardware.
• 10basetom: I don’t think so. It’s not a good time for any tablet not made by Apple. Tablet experience on Android leaves a lot to be desired.
• Daniel: Steam Deck. AMD slapped Nvidia right across the face with this handheld. There is space 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 see that happening when it put zero effort in keeping the shield tablet relevant.
• Brett: I feel the world has always cared about tablets. And Google only cares because it has a new device coming to sell. I feel if it had nothing coming it would not be doing much with tablets at all.
• The Bunny: Wouldn’t it make more sense as a handheld? Like the nintendo switch, which has pretty much the same SoC as a Shield, with everything else you need to game? Or a Steam Deck? Or one of the other varying android handhelds or devices to hold your phone, adding controllers? The appeal here would be long support to the device. Problem being, at the likely price point…there are a ton of options out there and a new android offering might not catch on.