Nvidia's 10-Year Shield TV Revolution: A Labor of Love
In a remarkable feat, Nvidia has maintained support for its Shield Android TV device for an astonishing ten years. Launched in 2015, the initial Shield box was a gaming powerhouse, but over time, Nvidia shifted its focus towards streaming media and premium customer service.
For Andrew Bell, senior VP of hardware engineering at Nvidia, it's been a labor of love. "We were all frustrated as buyers of phones and tablets that you buy a device, you get one or two updates, and that's it!" Bell recalled. In 2015, when the first Shield box was released, Nvidia made a bold promise: to support its device for as long as they shall live.
The company's commitment to Shield has been unwavering. In 2023 and 2024, there were two-year gaps in updates, leaving fans worried that Nvidia had lost interest. However, Bell assured Ars Technica that it was actually one of the company's biggest development efforts during that time.
One of the key factors driving Nvidia's dedication to Shield is its proprietary Tegra X1 Arm chip, which has proven surprisingly resilient over time. In 2017, the original Switch console used the same processor, and modders discovered a bug that could bypass Nintendo's security measures. To fix this issue, Nvidia spent months creating an entirely new security stack.
As of February 2025, Shield Patch 9.2 was released, addressing the Tegra X1 vulnerability once and for all. The company has continued to manufacture the 2019 Shield, which still sees steady sales volume despite its premium price point.
While there's no concrete evidence that a new, refreshed Shield TV is imminent, Bell hinted at ongoing development in the labs. "We're always playing in the labs, trying to discover new things," he said. A potential next-generation Shield would prioritize video technologies like VP9 Profile 2 hardware decoding, AV1, HDR 10+, and Dolby Vision profiles.
In conclusion, Nvidia's commitment to its Shield Android TV device is a testament to the company's dedication to customer satisfaction and innovation. As Bell put it, "We talk about it all the time—I'd love to" build a new Shield TV, but for now, the focus remains on supporting the existing platform.
In a remarkable feat, Nvidia has maintained support for its Shield Android TV device for an astonishing ten years. Launched in 2015, the initial Shield box was a gaming powerhouse, but over time, Nvidia shifted its focus towards streaming media and premium customer service.
For Andrew Bell, senior VP of hardware engineering at Nvidia, it's been a labor of love. "We were all frustrated as buyers of phones and tablets that you buy a device, you get one or two updates, and that's it!" Bell recalled. In 2015, when the first Shield box was released, Nvidia made a bold promise: to support its device for as long as they shall live.
The company's commitment to Shield has been unwavering. In 2023 and 2024, there were two-year gaps in updates, leaving fans worried that Nvidia had lost interest. However, Bell assured Ars Technica that it was actually one of the company's biggest development efforts during that time.
One of the key factors driving Nvidia's dedication to Shield is its proprietary Tegra X1 Arm chip, which has proven surprisingly resilient over time. In 2017, the original Switch console used the same processor, and modders discovered a bug that could bypass Nintendo's security measures. To fix this issue, Nvidia spent months creating an entirely new security stack.
As of February 2025, Shield Patch 9.2 was released, addressing the Tegra X1 vulnerability once and for all. The company has continued to manufacture the 2019 Shield, which still sees steady sales volume despite its premium price point.
While there's no concrete evidence that a new, refreshed Shield TV is imminent, Bell hinted at ongoing development in the labs. "We're always playing in the labs, trying to discover new things," he said. A potential next-generation Shield would prioritize video technologies like VP9 Profile 2 hardware decoding, AV1, HDR 10+, and Dolby Vision profiles.
In conclusion, Nvidia's commitment to its Shield Android TV device is a testament to the company's dedication to customer satisfaction and innovation. As Bell put it, "We talk about it all the time—I'd love to" build a new Shield TV, but for now, the focus remains on supporting the existing platform.
It's crazy they've been supporting it for 10 whole years now. I remember buying one back in 2015 and being like wow this thing is a beast for gaming! But yeah, over time things changed and it became more of a media player. Still, it's awesome that Nvidia has kept the updates going even when there were gaps. That proprietary Tegra X1 chip is pretty cool too 
. Maybe it's gonna be a refreshed Shield TV or maybe they'll just keep pushing updates for the old one? Either way, I'm hyped that Nvidia is still putting in the effort 
I mean, 10 years of Shield TV support? That's like me still playing with my childhood Legos 
. Nvidia's commitment is genuinely impressive, especially considering how quickly tech trends can change. It's reassuring to know that the company's all-in-one device is still getting updates and support – even if it means it doesn't exactly scream "gaming powerhouse" anymore 
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. Who knew Tegra X1 could withstand as much punishment as it has? Maybe Nvidia should just start calling Shield TV the "Terra X1" instead of the "Shield" lol. Anyway, while a new, refreshed Shield might not be imminent, I'd love to see some innovative features in the future, like those video technologies mentioned 
The Tegra X1 chip is still holding strong (see ASCII art diagram of a CPU 
) and it's clear they're not done innovating yet. 
From what Bell said, the focus is on supporting the existing platform for now, but I'd love to see a new Shield TV with those sick video techs! 
VP9 Profile 2 hardware decoding, AV1, HDR 10+, and Dolby Vision profiles would make it a beast of a streaming device. 
i mean i know they shifted their focus from gaming to streaming and whatnot but still it's a huge deal! Andrew Bell is literally so dedicated to this project i love how he talked about it being a labor of love 
the tegra x1 chip has proven to be super resilient too which is crazy considering it was used in the original switch console! 
what do u guys think? would u get a new shield tv if it came out?! 
. It's like they're trying to keep us nostalgic, haha! The original Shield box was meant to be a gaming powerhouse, but Nvidia shifted focus to streaming and premium service, which makes total sense in hindsight 
. I'm still not sure if we'll see a new Shield TV anytime soon, but Nvidia's commitment to customer satisfaction is something to be admired 
their shield tv has been around for 10 years and they're still pushing out updates like clockwork 
i mean what other company can say that ??! it's not just about selling a device, it's about building a community and taking care of your customers 
and let's be real, those premium prices on the older models are SO worth it if you want the latest and greatest tech 
Andrew Bell is literally a hero 
but honestly, that proprietary Tegra X1 chip is MIND BLOWING 