korean entertainment: NVIDIA updates Shield with Android 4.3, button mapping, console mode

Monday, October 28, 2013

NVIDIA updates Shield with Android 4.3, button mapping, console mode

NVIDIA Shield console mode

The $300 NVIDIA Shield gaming console gains a great deal more functionality

NVIDIA today is letting lose a major update to its Shield gaming console, one that adds a significant amount of functionality to the $300 device. Here's the lowdown:

Android 4.3: Shield is getting updated to Android 4.3, making it one of the first Android devices — gaming phone, tablet or otherwise — to be updated to the most current (and available) version of Android. (And some apps can now be moved to the SD card.)
Console mode: This has been teased publicly, and now it'll be available. You'll be able to plug your Shield into your TV and control it wirelessly using a Bluetooth gaming controller.
Custom control mapping: Not every app has been optimized for Shield, and not every developer will take the time to do so. So NVIDIA's giving you a way to set your own custom mappings, download mappings others have made — and share your own with your friends.
GameStream exits beta: The deal where your computer crunches the graphics and shoots them to your Shield — provided you have the proper NVIDIA graphics card — grows up and gets official. (Plus you can get some nice deals on games when you buy a new graphics card.)

We've been giving the update the what-for over the weekend — a few initial thoughts, after the break.