Nvidia Project Shield Reviews From CES 2013: First Look at New Handheld Game Console

Nvidia unveiled its new Project Shield gaming console at CES 2013. What do reviewers who got their hands on it at the Consumer Electronics Show have to say about it?

The Shield is a handheld device that can play Android games or stream games from a nearby PC over a wi-fi network.

"Shield is shaped and feels like a gaming controller," says CNET's Eric Franklin.

"In fact it could be described as an Xbox 360 controller with a 5-inch screen at the top," he says. "Weight-wise it felt a bit heavier than a stock controller, by maybe a pound or so. Overall, it felt nearly as comfortable as my beloved Xbox 360 controller, but I did notice that the screen on one of the models felt kind of loose and wobbled a lot when I moved the device."

The gameplay is interesting, but not yet exciting, Franklin says.

"Of the native Android games, both Sonic the Hedgehog and Rochard looked fine, if unimpressive from a frame rate perspective. Hawken, on the other hand, ran at what looked to be a full 60fps with fairly complex geometry and effects. It must be said, though, that the game was not populated with any other players when I tried it."

Nvidia's has so far been mute on pricing for the Shield, but they've stated it won't be a subsidized device.

And while the Wi-Fi streaming will allow gamers to play anything they could play on their PC, that's only really available at home. On the go, the Shield is stuck with Android games.

And Forbes notes that only more advanced hardware will be able to communicate with the Shield, as the wireless streaming requires a GeForce GTX-powered computer.

And serious gamers might prefer to just wait for Valve's Steambox.

"For hardcore PC gamers, the Nvidia Shield may be a great buy one way or another, especially if you already own a contemporary Nvidia GPU," says Erik Kain at Forbes. "For my part, I can see some advantages being able to stream Dark Souls from my Steam account straight to my TV without having to lug the rig across the room or have a PC case sitting in my entertainment center."

"Then again, with the Steambox around the corner, I'm not sure I'd have a huge reason to get a handheld like the Shield. If there was a mechanism which allowed me to utilize the Shield as a second local screen I might change my mind. Being able to play local co-op or competitive multiplayer on my PC and TV from one game account would be excellent."

Project Shield has no set release date, so Nvidia has time to work out the kinks and respond to initial feedback, but there's plenty of competition in the works.