NVIDIA Shield Update To Bring Android 4.3, Console Mode And Gamestream Support

NVIDIA promised that we’d see big upgrades to its Shield gaming system today, and it’s delivering them in spades. A just-launched Android 4.3 update introduces Console Mode. Hook up your Shield to your HDTV, after which you can connect to the device using a Bluetooth enabled controller and lie back in your couch while you enjoy a console-like gaming experience. NVIDIA supplies a button mapping utility that adds hardware controls to games which expect touch input.

The release also takes Gamestream out of beta, providing official PC-to-Shield streaming for more than 50 titles. A few interface-level tweaks come with the new OS, including actionable notifications, restricted profiles and the option of moving app files to an SD card. The update should be rolling out now, but gamers who don’t yet have a Shield now have an extra incentive to pick one up.

If that is not enough for you, NVIDIA is lopping $100 off the system’s price as part of a bundle that includes a GeForce GTX graphics card as well as copies of Assassin’s Creed 4, Batman: Arkham Origins and Splinter Cell: Blacklist.

Thank you Endgadget for providing us with this information.

Image courtesy of Endgadget