New Nvidia Shield and Google Stadia support

But what about GeForce Now?

Speculation around rumors of a new Nvidia Shield streaming box is picking up steam. Just days after the link to the updated Nvidia Shield appeared in Google Developer Tools, there seems to be even more going on behind the scenes.

An anonymous source speaking to The Digital Fix stated that the Nvidia Shield TV update will not only take place this year, but will also launch in November alongside Google Stadia, a future video game streaming platform hoping to offer an affordable alternative to traditional gaming consoles.

We know Google Stadia launches in November and will run on a wide variety of screens, including laptops, tablets, and even Google Pixel smartphones.

Stadia’s perspective is to offload most of the processing power needed to run games with external servers, although you need minimal specs to run the program.

As part of the Stadia project, it makes sense to use streaming devices such as the Shield, which has more than enough processing power to work with the service and supports the Google Android TV smart platform, and can also play content in 4K resolution with HDR.

We know Stadia will play well on the Google Chromecast streaming key as well, and it looks like Google is making consistent efforts to bolster its Android ecosystem with the upcoming gaming service.

Apparently, the source also mentioned that the new Nvidia Shield will receive a model without a controller and will be compatible with the Google Stadia controller, which can already be ordered without waiting for the launch of Stadia.

Do not cross the streams!

What’s curious is the existence of its own cloud gaming service behind Nvidia Shield TV.

Nvidia’s GeForce Now offers a list of games available for streaming on the box, including many of the latest AAA titles. It’s still a limited service – and GeForce Now’s resolution is currently capped at 1080p versus 4K HDR video output on the Stadia, the service offers a simple interface and quality streaming from its own cloud gaming experience.

Why Nvidia is willing to compete with its own service is not immediately clear, and if GeForce Now is unable to offer a bonus – say, a number of niche games not available in Stadia – we have no idea how the service will retain its audience after the release of Stadia.

You can see our detailed comparison of the two services at the link below. Google Stadia vs GeForce Now: Which Cloud Gaming Service Is Better?