I'd like a better than PS4 shield device, but nVidia seems to be acting like Google, build, then give up because consumers didn't respond to their half efforts....
Probably because they have effectively no competition, so no need to update the hardware. Even 3 years after release, is there a single Android TV box with even comparable (let alone superior) graphical performance?
This presumes they could just sit around and wait until some competition appears and then release something overnight. However, the lead time with SoCs is significantly longer than GPUs, because (among other reasons) theirs isn't the only software running on it.
This is why they actually announce their SoCs well in advance, and they have not announced anything to directly succeed Parker (TX2). So, all signs point to them abandoning this market.
As for competition, AMD now has some embedded Ryzen + Vega SKUs that should be very competitive.
What's the use case though? The Shield TV already plays 4K video, so until 8K becomes a thing there isn't much room for improvement on that front. Android games are almost all designed to run on three year old phones, so the GPU in the Shield TV is already overkill. It's not like PS4 and Xbox One developers are going to port their new games to ARM so they can run on a tiny tiny percentage of Android devices. So what's the point of putting out something faster?
The Shield was supposed to be more than something that plays video. You define it as nothing more than a cheap Android box, then yeah mission accomplished.
Lots of high end games are coming to Android. PubG and Fortnite are here already. Takes vision. No reason nVidia doesn't release an innovative console than makes the PS4 look bad in comparison. Can develop the new console game economy (not beholden to physical sales).
No disc drive, new console economy. That's the nut that Microsoft and Sony can't crack with their large legacy user bases and retail partners.
PubG and Fortnite will run on a phone though, so the power just isn't needed. Also, I'd hardly consider two games from the same genre strong evidence that lots of high end games are coming to Android.
There's a good reason Nvidia doesn't release a console. There's no money in it unless you can compete with Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Microsoft lost money for years with the Xbox brand. Nvidia can make way more money in AI, cars, and, to a lesser extent, PC hardware. I'm just not sure that many people are interested in Android gaming on a TV.
I was going to say, I can't remember any other Android device, including any directly from Google, ever receiving 19 full OS updates before. Yet Shield TV is the first ever device to get that many major software updates and it's still going. It's already past the miracle stage IMO. My twice as expensive nearly $500 Samsung Tablet received 3 major updates in total and it was released around the same time. It is downright unbelievable just how much support NVIDIA has given the SHIELD TV.
Maybe. Or perhaps it could have something to do with the other devices which include it, such as Google's Pixel C, for which they're obligated to do most of the support work. At that point, why not go ahead and release the updates for Shield?
The next embedded SoC for them is called Xavier, and it's going to be way too big, expensive, and power-hungry for that. It wouldn't even make a good console GPU, due to being biased toward AI with comparatively weak graphics capabilities.
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Nehemoth - Friday, June 1, 2018 - link
Would like to know if Nvidia would present a follow up chip to the one inside Shield TV /Nintendo SwitchAlistair - Friday, June 1, 2018 - link
I'd like a better than PS4 shield device, but nVidia seems to be acting like Google, build, then give up because consumers didn't respond to their half efforts....aryonoco - Friday, June 1, 2018 - link
Very true. The Shield TV is an amazing device and has a small by die-hard fan base. It's the perfect thing from which to operate and grow.But Nvidia seems to mostly have given up on Tegra outside of cars.
Which is a pity. Imagine a modern SoC built on a 10-nm class in that device. Perhaps with a slightly higher TDP, it would do wonders.
mode_13h - Friday, June 1, 2018 - link
I recently read about a standalone VR HMD that's using TX2.edzieba - Saturday, June 2, 2018 - link
Probably because they have effectively no competition, so no need to update the hardware. Even 3 years after release, is there a single Android TV box with even comparable (let alone superior) graphical performance?mode_13h - Sunday, June 3, 2018 - link
This presumes they could just sit around and wait until some competition appears and then release something overnight. However, the lead time with SoCs is significantly longer than GPUs, because (among other reasons) theirs isn't the only software running on it.This is why they actually announce their SoCs well in advance, and they have not announced anything to directly succeed Parker (TX2). So, all signs point to them abandoning this market.
As for competition, AMD now has some embedded Ryzen + Vega SKUs that should be very competitive.
cfenton - Sunday, June 3, 2018 - link
What's the use case though? The Shield TV already plays 4K video, so until 8K becomes a thing there isn't much room for improvement on that front. Android games are almost all designed to run on three year old phones, so the GPU in the Shield TV is already overkill. It's not like PS4 and Xbox One developers are going to port their new games to ARM so they can run on a tiny tiny percentage of Android devices. So what's the point of putting out something faster?Alistair - Monday, June 4, 2018 - link
The Shield was supposed to be more than something that plays video. You define it as nothing more than a cheap Android box, then yeah mission accomplished.Lots of high end games are coming to Android. PubG and Fortnite are here already. Takes vision. No reason nVidia doesn't release an innovative console than makes the PS4 look bad in comparison. Can develop the new console game economy (not beholden to physical sales).
No disc drive, new console economy. That's the nut that Microsoft and Sony can't crack with their large legacy user bases and retail partners.
cfenton - Monday, June 4, 2018 - link
PubG and Fortnite will run on a phone though, so the power just isn't needed. Also, I'd hardly consider two games from the same genre strong evidence that lots of high end games are coming to Android.There's a good reason Nvidia doesn't release a console. There's no money in it unless you can compete with Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Microsoft lost money for years with the Xbox brand. Nvidia can make way more money in AI, cars, and, to a lesser extent, PC hardware. I'm just not sure that many people are interested in Android gaming on a TV.
Kvaern1 - Saturday, June 2, 2018 - link
Considering the amount of updates the Shield has recieved I don't think you can callt it an abandoned product or half effort in any way or shape.SkOrPn - Saturday, June 2, 2018 - link
I was going to say, I can't remember any other Android device, including any directly from Google, ever receiving 19 full OS updates before. Yet Shield TV is the first ever device to get that many major software updates and it's still going. It's already past the miracle stage IMO. My twice as expensive nearly $500 Samsung Tablet received 3 major updates in total and it was released around the same time. It is downright unbelievable just how much support NVIDIA has given the SHIELD TV.mode_13h - Sunday, June 3, 2018 - link
Maybe. Or perhaps it could have something to do with the other devices which include it, such as Google's Pixel C, for which they're obligated to do most of the support work. At that point, why not go ahead and release the updates for Shield?mode_13h - Friday, June 1, 2018 - link
The next embedded SoC for them is called Xavier, and it's going to be way too big, expensive, and power-hungry for that. It wouldn't even make a good console GPU, due to being biased toward AI with comparatively weak graphics capabilities.https://www.anandtech.com/show/12598/nvidia-arm-so...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tegra#Xavier
Sttm - Friday, June 1, 2018 - link
Eagerly waiting for Hot Chips then so I can yell "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY"... its been over 2 years, I am ready!mode_13h - Friday, June 1, 2018 - link
First, you might've missed that they withdrew.Second, they don't launch anything at Hot Chips. Maybe at like Computex or possibly even SIGGRAPH, but not Hot Chips.
Jad77 - Saturday, June 2, 2018 - link
I was halfway through a comment, when it occurred to me that I just don't give a shit anymore. Maybe I'm getting too old.