NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV reboot coming to CES 2017

NVIDIA will reveal a new piece of Android TV hardware in their NVIDIA SHIELD line of devices at CES 2017. For the past couple of years NVIDIA’s yearly CES-based event has housed primarily automotive-related news – this year that won’t (entirely) be the case. This information comes from an anonymous source with information on the subject matter.

While the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV’s original form was revealed at GDC 2015 – the next year at this same event, NVIDIA was comparatively quiet. The time is ripe for the next generation in NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV releases. This version of the device will keep the name of the previous device – no need to change something that’s not broken.

SEE TOO: New NVIDIA SHIELD remote may make Android TV more magical

As the NVIDIA SHIELD has been the dominant Android TV device since it was first revealed, not a whole lot about the device will change. This version of the device will support 802.11ac WiFi and rolls with MIMO antennas to take full advantage of the fastest wireless connectivity speeds.

The SHIELD Controller will begin to rely on Bluetooth Low Energy instead of Wi-Fi Direct. The SHIELD Remote might also make this change, but we’re more solid on the idea of the Controller switching to Bluetooth with a new model than the Remote. The SHIELD Controller will be thinned out a bit, and both devices will have slightly better battery optimization than their predecessors.

When the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV is announced, NVIDIA will include notes on integration with 4K content galore. One point is especially telling – a notice in Google’s release for Google Play’s move toward 4K content today. This notice made a list of devices that work with Google Play 4K movies and TV shows. While the Mi TV (Android TV) device was on the list, the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV was noticeably absent.

It’s a tossup whether NVIDIA will offer this next-gen NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV for the same prices as its previous duo (regular and PRO) or if it’ll opt for the same Tablet treatment. The NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet’s 2nd edition lost a couple of features and became less expensive – perhaps they’ll go the same route here. We shall see – come CES 2017’s first major keynote of the series, taking place Wednesday, January 4th, 2017 at 6:30 PM Pacific Time.

We’ll be at the event to bring you up close and personal with everything NVIDIA has to offer. As the company suggests, this keynote will include four categories: “artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, VR, and gaming.”