In terms of Android TV, the platform which was announced back at last year’s I/O event held by Google, the available devices are a little limited. However, besides the recent announcement from Sony detailing their built-in Android TV offerings, it was also reported this morning that Razer had opened pre-orders for their Forge TV unit which also runs Android TV. This one is due to ship at the end of April/start of May and will be priced at $99 for the standalone unit or $149.99 for the bundle unit which comes with a Serval controller. Besides, the actual Android TV functionality, one of the main reasons someone might opt for this system is due to its emphasis on gaming with the ability to stream PC games to the TV. However, that is not the only gaming Android TV device on the Horizon. That is because Nvidia are also gearing up for the release of their 4K Nvidia Shield device.
The Nvidia Shield comes with 3GB RAM and powered by Nvidia’s own Tegra X1 processor. Of course, this is a 4K compatible device and as such will offer 4K playback, while the Shield also comes with 7.1 and 5.1 surround sound. Not forgetting, the gaming emphasis here means the Shield will offer access to Nvidia GameStream. However, the downside of the device is that it only comes with 16GB of internal storage. Of course, there is a MicroSD card slot also on offer (upto 128GB) but that internal storage will be a sticking point for some users. Especially, those who want to store a decent level of games onboard.
Well, it seems the Nvidia site (source link below) is now also stating a 500GB version of the Nvidia Shield will be available. The standard 16GB version is expected to sell for $199.99. In contrast, for the $100 premium add-on price ($299.99) users will be able to pick up the 500GB version. Which is a small price to pay for such an increase in memory. At the moment, it is not clear if there are any other major differences between the specs of the 16GB and 500GB versions. However, for the $100 increase there is unlikely to be. Either way, the inclusion of a significantly larger internal storage will be enough to encourage users to go for the 500GB version.