Coming in 16 months after the release of the original Shield Tablet, NVIDIA has refreshed and re-released it with a few changes as the Shield Tablet K1. The external hardware is nearly identical, the screen and internals are unchanged, but one big area that has changed is price — you can have a Shield Tablet K1 for just $199. In Europe, the price breaks down to 149.99£ or 199,99€.
That's $100 less than the original Shield Tablet debuted at, and there are really only a couple of losses. The tablet no longer ships with a charger or USB cable in the box, and you won't find a stylus included anymore. But neither will likely be much of an issue for anyone looking to get the best value for their money in an Android tablet. A bigger deal is that the $100 savings now opens you up to consider the $39 (19.99£ / 29,99€) Shield Tablet Cover and $59 (49.99£ / 59,99€) Shield Controller, which are really must-haves for using the tablet for gaming purposes.
And have no doubt about it, this is great value for the money. Sure, the specs are unchanged — a Tegra K1, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage (plus an SD card slot) — from a year ago, but the Shield Tablet K1 handles Android 5.1.1 well and still has tons of power for all of your gaming needs. The 8-inch 1920x1200 display is still good, and NVIDIA's take on Android is simple and light.
Best of all, the Shield Tablet K1 is available starting today, and you can get it in the U.S., Canada and Europe (including the UK, France and Germany) from day one. You'll find it from NVIDIA directly, as well as Amazon, Best Buy and Newegg.
- Buy the Shield Tablet K1 from NVIDIA
- Buy the Shield Tablet K1 from Amazon
- Buy the Shield Tablet K1 from BestBuy
Press release:
Back by Popular Demand: Updated SHIELD Tablet K1, Now Available for $199
Fans have asked for it, so we're bringing back the ultimate tablet for gamers — at a great new price of $199. And, it's just in time for the holidays.
SHIELD tablet K1 is a high-performance Android tablet that transforms into an amazing gaming machine with the SHIELD controller and toprated games.
The tablet features a full HD 1080p, 8-inch display for stunning video, dual front-facing speakers for superb sound, and an optional tablet cover that doubles as a kickstand.
Ultimate Performance
SHIELD tablet K1 delivers incredible graphics, powered by the NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor, which features a 192-core NVIDIA Kepler architecture GPU. The tablet outperforms other devices in its class and even those that are twice the price.
More Ways to Game
SHIELD offers the best games with the best graphics. A wide variety of Android games can be enjoyed natively on SHIELD tablet K1. From family games and indie hits to the most advanced Android titles — all with rich gameplay and intense multiplayer action.
Today, we're also announcing that Need for Speed No Limits and Real Boxing 2 are joining the stable of great games available on SHIELD tablet K1, such as Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Octodad: Dadliest Catch and Vainglory.
Gamers can also join our new cloud gaming service, GeForce NOW — free for the first three months — to connect to NVIDIA's gaming supercomputers and enjoy unlimited streaming of over 60 popular PC games or buy newly released games from the online store. Following the trial period, GeForce NOW is only $7.99 per month.
This is gaming to take anywhere, even your living room. Use console mode to enjoy all your favorite games on your big screen TV.
Industry-Leading Updates
With SHIELD tablet K1, you'll benefit from our commitment to have the latest and greatest software for your device, receiving over-the-air updates direct from NVIDIA.
The next one is coming soon as we anticipate Android 6.0 Marshmallow to hit SHIELD tablet K1 in the coming months. That'll make it one of the first tablets with Google's newest operating system.
Pricing and Availability
SHIELD tablet K1 is the ultimate tablet for gamers. It includes Wi-Fi connectivity and 16GB storage with microSD support (up to 128GB) — all at $199.99. Optional SHIELD controller retails for $59.99, SHIELD tablet K1 cover retails for $39.99, SHIELD DirectStylus 2 retails for $19.99 and SHIELD world charger with international compatibility retails for $29.99.
SHIELD tablet K1 and its accessories are now available in the United States, Canada and select European countries. In the United States, SHIELD tablet K1 is available at shield.nvidia.com, Amazon, BestBuy.com and Newegg.
