Hands-on with NVIDIA's first game console, Project Shield (update: now with video!)

[ ](http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/nvidia-project-shield-hands-on/)

NVIDIA surprised the world last night by transitioning from hardware component manufacturer to game console manufacturer in one fell swoop, introducing the world to its portable game console, [Project Shield](http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/nvidia-project-shield-tegra-4/). A 5-inch "retinal" HD multitouch display sitting atop a full-on game controller that resembles a blend of the Xbox 360 gamepad's curves and the PlayStation 3 DualShock 3's unfortunate analog stick placement, all powered by the [newly revealed Tegra 4](http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/06/nvidia-tegra-4-official/) quad-core cortex A15 processor. The console's set to ship in Q2 2013, and it promises stunning graphics for the Android games it's made to run, as well as a direct streaming option employing [NVIDIA's GeForce Experience application](http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/06/nvidia-geforce-experience-beta/). That means not just Android games, but also full-on PC games, with built-in Steam Big Picture Mode integration. It is, frankly, an impressive package. But the proof's in the pudding, right?

We got our first chance to go hands-on with the device this morning -- our first hands-on with any Tegra 4 device, mind you -- and came away impressed. Beyond being a speedy handheld, the 5-inch LED makes high-def PC games look even more visually stunning. Sheer pixel density alone meant that our test run of _Need for Speed: Most Wanted_ looked even better on Project Shield than it did on the PC running it. More importantly, there was zero perceptible lag.

As for controls, Shield is a bit on the unwieldy side of things. In an effort to make the screen foldable, clamshell-style, with the full gamepad underneath, the analog sticks are sunk into the body. While it didn't make any of the games we tried unplayable, it did feel a bit less comfy than, say, an Xbox 360 controller. The DualShock 3-esque placement of those analog sticks isn't helping either, but sadly that doesn't look like it's changing -- the sticks are where they are for function's sake.

**Gallery: [NVIDIA Project SHIELD hands-on](http://www.engadget.com/photos/nvidia-project-shield-hands-on/)**

[](http://www.engadget.com/photos/nvidia-project-shield-hands-on/5541934)[](http://www.engadget.com/photos/nvidia-project-shield-hands-on/5541932)[](http://www.engadget.com/photos/nvidia-project-shield-hands-on/5541880)[](http://www.engadget.com/photos/nvidia-project-shield-hands-on/5541886)[](http://www.engadget.com/photos/nvidia-project-shield-hands-on/5541887)

[Continue reading _Hands-on with NVIDIA's first game console, Project Shield (update: now with video!)_](http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/nvidia-project-shield-hands-on/)

Filed under: [Gaming](http://www.engadget.com/category/gaming/), [Handhelds](http://www.engadget.com/category/handhelds/), [HD](http://www.engadget.com/category/hd/), [Mobile](http://www.engadget.com/category/mobile/), [NVIDIA](http://www.engadget.com/category/nvidia/)

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