NVIDIA has announced that the original SHIELD TV model is getting an update bringing its software version to 5.0. The update introduces Android 7.0 Nougat, along with support for a huge number of new apps, games, and services. Additionally, it brings a completely refined SHIELD gaming experience, putting all games in a single hub regardless of their source. The list of new features also includes UI refinements and a couple of other functionalities like the picture-in-picture mode and a Recent Apps screen.
Amazon’s video services are now also available on the SHIELD TV, with some content even available in 4K. Vimeo, Comedy Central, Viki, NFL, and Twitter round out the list of new apps, and Nest integration is also in this update, allowing users to watch their Nest cameras’ feeds. Additionally, numerous apps can now be displayed using the new picture-in-picture mode of the SHIELD TV. A Recent Apps screen can be reached by double-tapping the home button, while the Settings menu has gotten a fairly large revamp. You can now pause and play content by using the volume slider and the device can now write on USB and card storage. Additionally, HBO GO got updated with a casting functionality, while the update also adds 4.1, 6.1, and 8.1 channel surround configurations to Plex.
The new patch brings a number of useful new features to the gaming side of the SHIELD TV. For starters, users can now stream games from their NVIDIA gaming PC in 4K HDR, so long as their rig has the power to render them in that resolution. For those without a gaming PC, NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW service is getting a performance bump with the addition of the GTX 1080, and a large number of new games are on board, including some of the biggest titles of 2015 and 2016. Most prominent titles include The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Space Marshalls 2, and The Witness. New exclusive Android games have also been added to the mix. The 5.0 update introduces an app called NVIDIA Games which will gradually replace the SHIELD Hub and its related apps once it starts rolling out as a Google Play Store update in the coming weeks.
