 Nvidia's Project Shield portable gaming device. (All rights reserved - Nvidia)
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Chip manufacturer Nvidia has announced handheld gaming device, Project Shield, in advance of CES 2013, boasting a 5-inch HD display attached to a console-style controller, and one that can stream games from a nearby computer.
Project Shield runs on the Android Jelly Bean operating system, downloading games from the Google Play store or Nvidia's TegraZone. It's due to launch sometime between April and June this year, around the same time as other Android-based gaming systems, the Kickstarter-funded Ouya and GameStick.
More impressively, the Shield's streaming mode is calibrated for use with Steam's user-friendly Big Picture mode, boasting compatibility with popular, higher-end titles such as "Assassin's Creed III," "Battlefield 3," "Borderlands 2" and "Skyrim," whose PC versions demonstrate significant graphical improvements over console counterparts.
However, the Shield is targeting enthusiasts from the outset, if only because of its hefty system requirements.
That attractive streaming option requires host computers to pack Nvidia's latest and greatest graphics card, the GTX 650 (or the GTX 660M on laptops). Additional minimum specifications call for an Intel i5 chip, Windows 7, and 4GB of memory.
Nvidia's expansion of its own hardware ecosystem strengthens suspicions that competitor AMD will be supplying chips for upcoming PlayStation and Xbox consoles; IBM tech powers Nintendo's late 2012 launch, the Wii U.
Official website: http://shield.nvidia.com 
