Nvidia's Shield Out Next Month For Many Moneydollars

Nvidia's Shield is technically an Android-based device, but a) what kind of mighty android machine overlord needs a shield and b) we're a PC gaming website. So then, why am I posting about this rare breed of land-dwelling game clam? Well, because it flawlessly streams just about any PC game you can throw at it - or at least, it will once that feature leaves beta a couple months after launch. Do you feel like an itsy bitsy screen, infinitely twiddle-able thumbsticks, and the ability to play anywhere in the whole wide worrrrrrrrrrrld (as long as your PC is, er, pretty close by) will greatly enhance your experience?  Then stream your eyeballs past the break for details.

According to The Verge, Shield will be out next month, with pre-orders beginning on May 20th. And the price? $349.99, which is quite a bit for a standalone handheld gaming device. It really comes down to what you're hoping to get out of it, though. If you could see yourself, say, streaming Steam Big Picture games frequently and diving headfirst into the deep end of Android's ever-deepening sea, it might be worth the entry fee.

Honestly, though, we're talking about a new hardware launch here. Waiting's probably your best bet, if only because these things tend to take their first steps about as confidently as Humpty Dumpty. It's only after the initial bellyflop that hardware makers start picking up all the pieces. Case in point - as I noted earlier - PC streaming isn't even fully ready yet. For many of you, I imagine that's pretty much a deal-breaker all by its lonesome.

So yes, watch and wait. Gameclams might seem unassuming enough, but even they can cause some pretty serious trouble when half-baked. I have no idea if Nvidia's actually will be, but better safe than $349.99 (plus tax!) poorer.