I don't see
Android gaming boxes lasting long with Valve joining the fray to make cheap Steam boxes a thing.
Not exact matches
Publishers like EA, Disney, Gameloft, Ubisoft and Double Fine are on board as partners — considering the fact that the
box runs on Fire OS, the
Android - based OS that also powers Amazon's Kindle tablets, there shouldn't be a limit to the
gaming titles available, though the controller will have to separately bought for $ 40.
A $ 50 7 incher, a kid - proof non-HD Fire 7, two slightly larger
Android slates, as well as a voice remote - controlled Fire TV stick, 4K - capable streaming media player, and
gaming - centric set - top
box.
Now NVIDIA has returned at GDC with the announcement of a «set top
gaming box» that will be the world's first 4K
Android TV consumer product when it's released, and also be loaded with great
gaming features.
When we reviewed the Nvidia Shield Tablet last year it ticked every
box when faced with
Android competition and even offered a lot that others couldn't, with its
gaming prowess thanks to dedicated graphics hardware.
The majority of the show is devoted to
gaming — The trouble with loot
boxes and games that ship incomplete to hit release dates, the best new
Android games, hot indie titles, and what's new in AR.
But at Google I / O 2016, the Chinese hardware maker had a surprise for the American market: a 4K - ready
Android TV - based set - top
box for all your video streaming and
gaming needs.
The $ 99
box (a flat circle, really) serves as a Chromecast while also offering a «leanback» experience for any number of streaming services, including YouTube, Google Play, Hulu and the like, plus it's an
Android gaming console, with an option $ 39 controller.
Beyond just
gaming, the Shield can function as a Plex media server with DVR support, and it's the only
Android TV
box to support Amazon Video.
Plex is one of the most widely available applications on mobile, desktop, and
gaming consoles, with access on the Xbox One and Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, various smart TVs and set - top
boxes such as Roku and NVIDIA Shield along with
Android, iOS, and Windows 10.
A more convenient option for those with SlimPort gadgets is the SlimPort Nano - Console: a small and simple
box that essentially turns your SlimPort device into a TV - ready streaming device or
Android gaming console.
But beyond those mobile devices, we also saw Google introduce the Nexus Player, a set - top
box running
Android TV, intended to expand on what Chromecast did to bring
Android into our living rooms by giving users a one - stop hub for both media and
gaming.
Though the Mi
Box supports Bluetooth game controllers the game offerings just aren't there on
Android TV — but to be fair the likes of the Fire TV haven't taken the
gaming world by storm either.
Google announced a new set - top
box that streams movies, music and TV, plus enables
Android gaming on...
One of the more interesting products in here is the NVIDIA SHIELD TV, which is a set - top
box, but also a
gaming console and it runs on
Android TV.
The most notable
Android TV set top
box now is the NVIDIA Shield TV that supports 4K streaming and is heavily geared towards
gaming.
It's a new
Android gaming device that comes running Ice Cream Sandwich out of the
box, and it's pretty inexpensive too.
As for the software, the Shield
Android TV is powered by
Android TV, on top of some excellent NVIDIA - specific extras like the GeForce Now
gaming service that streams PC games right to the set - top
box with no PC required.
There are Nvidia dedicated apps for its different game services, such as the enhanced versions of
Android games that require the
box's beefier graphical specs to run, the ability to stream games from a local PC, and the firm's own cloud
gaming service, GeForce Now.
A Nexus game controller for the device will be sold separately too, and Google describes the Nexus Player as a «first of its kind»
Android gaming device, as well as a fully - featured streaming
box.
The Forge TV is an
Android TV - based
gaming box for the living room made by popular
gaming hardware company Razer, and is available in the form of a bundle including the Serval controller and everything else you need to get started.
Plus it's one of the smattering of
Android TV
boxes that has access to Amazon Video, in addition to being one hell of a
gaming rig.
The NVIDIA SHIELD line has had an interesting journey, from being available as an all - in - one
gaming handheld, to a TV
box and now back to an incredibly powerful
Android tablet.