ClassicGMR Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Anyone here have one? Looking to buy one soon but I'd like to hear from a few owners here how they feel about it. Primary use would be emulation but there are some games that I'd love to stream like Skyrim. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaytonaUSA Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 ....I guess that answers your question . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenegg Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 I have one. It's a decent system and built like a tank. The main problem is its size. It's just way too large. I rarely take it out with me, as it just takes up way too much space in my bag. It's powerful enough to play all the popular emulators and there's some good Android games which are optimized for the system. It's pretty cool having Half-Life 2 and Portal on a system like this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 I've got one, too! I'm interested in Android programming, so I wanted a powerful Android device to use as a target platform, and I also wanted a portable system that could be used for emulation without my having to hack, crack, or jailbreak it. The Shield filled both requirements nicely. Of all the current mobile game platforms, it's the one that I would recommend the most to other AtariAge members, especially those who are interested primarily in emulation. I'm very impressed by the overall quality of the Shield: the construction is solid, the screen looks great, and since it uses NVIDIA's Tegra 4 chipset, it's got more than enough horsepower for any emulator or game I've thrown at it so far. NVIDIA has also done a good job of releasing regular Android updates for it: mine initially shipped with Jelly Bean, but I got a KitKat upgrade for the Shield before some of my friends got it for their Android phones. I've only tried a handful of native Android games so far, but I've successfully used several different emulators; MAME4droid, 2600.emu, John NES, and DosBox Turbo are the ones I presently use the most. Having a built-in controller on an Android device is such a luxury. It's so much better for the games I play than a touchscreen could ever be. The controls also map to the Android keyboard and mouse (the right thumb stick can emulate the mouse if you enable that option), so even emulators which aren't explicitly aware of the Shield can still use them. The Shield has a MicroSD card slot, and I've tested cards of up to 32GB with game images and media files with no problems. I also don't have a problem with the size: everyone always complains about the weight, but the Shield and its carrying case together weigh in at just over a single pound. That isn't exactly a back-breaking burden, people. The Shield is certainly not as bulky as an Atari Lynx and a battery pack, and the screen quality and battery life are certainly much better. There are two sore points, though, not related to the Shield but to the way it's been received by the gaming press and by the general public. One is the much-publicized GameStream feature, which allows games to be streamed from a PC if the games and the PC support it. I've never used this feature (my machines are too old and I'm not really interested in the kinds of games that presently support streaming anyway), but it seems to be one of the first things that people learn about the Shield, and they invariably proceed to assume that streaming is all it can do. So, if streaming isn't something that interests them, they just dismiss the Shield entirely without considering its other possible uses: "Why would I need a Shield? I don't have a PC so I can't use GameStream." Yes, streaming is one possible way of using it, but it's an Android device, perfectly capable of playing the exact same games that other Android devices play (in fact, I find that it plays them better than most). This shouldn't be so hard to understand, yet a number of "reviewers" seem to have completely missed the point of the system. The second sore point is the common notion that, because Android games can be played on the tiny phones and cheap tablets that most people already have, there's "no market" for the Shield. I don't see how someone can think that a slow tablet or phone, coupled with a third-party Bluetooth controller, awkwardly propped up on a table or plugged into a TV with a messy cable, can give them the same experience that an all-in-one, high performance console like the Shield can give them. Why do so many people still prefer consoles, even though a decent PC can theoretically handle all the games that a console can play? Because a console is (or should be) optimized to provide a high-quality gaming experience without all the complexity that a multifunction device like a PC would add. The analogy also applies to mobile games: if you want a better mobile gaming experience, get a device that is built specifically for games, like a Nintendo 2DS/3DS or an NVIDIA Shield. To compare the Shield to a device which is optimized for making phone calls (or surfing the Web, or taking pictures) is to compare apples and oranges: yes, they're both mobile devices which run Android, but they're really in different classes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Meh, I'm happy with my Ouya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenegg Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Meh, I'm happy with my Ouya. Why do you continue to feel the need to troll in threads for products you don't care about? The Ouya and Shield are two completely different beasts. There's no reason to bring it up here. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassicGMR Posted July 20, 2014 Author Share Posted July 20, 2014 Thanks goldenegg and jaybird3rd. I am going to pick one up I believe very soon. I know the site mentions Skyrim ... anyone tried running that on the system? That would push me over the edge very quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenegg Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I don't use the streaming functionality, since I use AMD GPUs in my computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassicGMR Posted July 20, 2014 Author Share Posted July 20, 2014 (edited) Well I wasn't ready to buy one just yet but I found one in like new shape with everything it came with new for $124.99 shipped. Had excellent pictures of the unit so I am comfortable with my purchase and I can return it if it doesn't work. I don't use the streaming functionality, since I use AMD GPUs in my computer. I have a great i7 tower with a GTX 760 2GB card for my gaming. Sometimes I just don't feel like sitting at my desk tied to the computer. Yes I will do that 95% of the time but if I can play once in a while as I'm relaxing before bed then I'm going to be happy. They have quite a few games that are stream ready and I do own quite a few off that list. Now I'm not n Android guy so is there a good place to check out how to get the emulation running on this beast? For example: with my old GP2X I used to go to http://www.gp32x.com/board/ Edited July 20, 2014 by ClassicGMR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassicGMR Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Got my unit in today. This thing is very nice. I installed Netflix just to check it out and it sounds and looks great! I also tried to install MAME4DROID and I cannot find anywhere on the net where to install the rom files. Does it have to be on an external micro sd? I think I am going to love this thing. Thanks for all the responses btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I'm sure you can put them anywhere, but I put my MAME ROM files on the SD card (the full path I used was /storage/sdcard1/emulation/software/arcade/MAME4droid/roms). Because of new security that was added in KitKat, applications can only write to their own installation folder, so if that option isn't set correctly, you'll have to change it in MAME4droid: in the "Settings" menu, choose "General", then "Change Installation Path". You'll be prompted to restart the emulator, and when it launches again, it will prompt you to specify the path. Browse to the folder containing the MAME4droid folder, or the folder where you'd like to create it if you don't already have one (in my example, the correct installation path would be /storage/sdcard1/emulation/software/arcade). The emulator should find the ROMs and populate the menu automatically. Fortunately, this is something you have to do only once; after you set the location, you don't have to change it again unless you choose to move the ROMs. By the way, MAME4droid is one of those emulators that will automatically configure itself for the NVIDIA Shield controls. For example, the buttons under the left and right thumb sticks are mapped to "Insert Coin" and "P1 Start" by default, and the "A" and "B" buttons are mapped to the first two action buttons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassicGMR Posted August 13, 2014 Author Share Posted August 13, 2014 Just wanted to say thank you all for your help in my decision. I've had it 3 weeks and cannot put it down! It's become my primary gaming system. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Do you need a Google account to use the Shield? I'd like one, but Google pissed me off last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenegg Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 If you want to buy anything from the Google Play store, you'll need a Google account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 I've had a Shield since Dec of last year, and it really is an amazingly nice device. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cimerians Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 I've had a Shield since Dec of last year, and it really is an amazingly nice device. I'm tempted to get the tablet: http://shield.nvidia.com/gaming-tablet/ How's the streaming from Steam or whatever? Any lag? I'm in the market for a new android tablet and this may fit the bill but its pretty expensive with the controller added in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 How's the streaming from Steam or whatever? Any lag? The PC streaming has been amazing with really no issues at all. The biggest problem in the beginning was the limited amount of titles 'certified' for Steam streaming, but once I switched Steam to Big Picture I could do a lot more. Played a lot of State of Decay chilling far away from the PC Even the Nvidia cloud streaming was surprisingly good. The router I'm using is an RT-N66W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cimerians Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 The PC streaming has been amazing with really no issues at all. The biggest problem in the beginning was the limited amount of titles 'certified' for Steam streaming, but once I switched Steam to Big Picture I could do a lot more. Played a lot of State of Decay chilling far away from the PC Even the Nvidia cloud streaming was surprisingly good. The router I'm using is an RT-N66W. Sounds good, I have a Netgear AC1750. Seems I won't have problems and its pretty solid, just keeping my eye on it hoping for a deal soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wongojack Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Now I'm not n Android guy so is there a good place to check out how to get the emulation running on this beast? For example: with my old GP2X I used to go to http://www.gp32x.com/board/ I'm interested in the answer to this question (and had the same experience with gp32x). Is there a place to go where people work through questions together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenegg Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I'm tempted to get the tablet: http://shield.nvidia.com/gaming-tablet/ How's the streaming from Steam or whatever? Any lag? I'm in the market for a new android tablet and this may fit the bill but its pretty expensive with the controller added in. I have the tablet. I'd suggest waiting until the cover and controller become available. I don't understand how Nvidia could have screwed up the launch so badly. There were very few tablets available and even fewer accessories. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cimerians Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Can anyone recommend the shield tablet now? It's been out for a while and the controller and cover are all available. It seems you can display and play your games on a TV too. Still a little pricey: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LM6KF7O?tag=laptop-magazine-20#Ask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenegg Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 It's a solid Android tablet and one of the fastest on the market. I wouldn't buy it just for gaming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cimerians Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 It's a solid Android tablet and one of the fastest on the market. I wouldn't buy it just for gaming. Actually I would game and also use it for the Google App store. I got a lot stuff on there and read comics and do other stuff than just gaming so I think I may get this soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenegg Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 (edited) I'd highly suggest buying one of these with the tablet http://www.nes30.com I absolutely love this controller and it's great for emulators. I always throw it in my bag when I travel. It's not much larger than a NES controller, so it takes very little space. Edited January 27, 2015 by goldenegg 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandor Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I've got a Shield Tablet and use it more than my iPad air. I have the 32GB version (only $100 more and also has build-in wireless) and use it mostly for gaming, reading, movie watching and listening to music. Combined with a 64GB sd card it gives me plenty of space to store everything I might need when traveling. I suggest getting the shield controller because it makes gaming a lot more fun that using screen controls. You can also hook it up to your PC and use it like a tethered controller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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