Nvidia Shield Delayed Moments Before Release
Less than 24 hours before the Nvidia handheld gaming device was scheduled to ship, Nvidia announced it would be pushing back release of the Shield by a month. This was disappointing news for the many people who’d hoped to get their hands on the new device, especially those who already preordered it.
Nvidia specifically commented on the reason for the delay, saying that;
The issue relates to a third-party mechanical component, and we’re working around the clock with the supplier to get it up to our expectations.
While I am disappointed that the Shield was pushed back so suddenly, and close to it’s release, I am also relieved. Anyone who plans on getting a Shield should be glad about the delay. You know why? Because Nvidia is smart. Wouldn’t we all much rather have a device that works great a month later, instead of one that needs a component replaced now?
Anyone who has had to go through the process of obtaining replacement parts for a console or PC can attest to the length of time that it I generally takes these companies to get you what you need. I’d much rather just not go through it all when we can just get a properly working device on release.
I mean, just think about all of the awfulness that we’ve had to endure in the past, just because a company didn’t take the time needed to iron out the issues it’s device had. There was the 360’s red ring of death, the Iphone 4 “antennagate”, and we’ve all played a video game that could have used more testing time.
Rushing out a product just to make money sooner has never resulted in anything good. In fact, we should be praising Nvidia for respecting us enough as gamers to understand that we’re adults, we can understand that we have to wait for some things. We all comprehend that we can’t have what we want, when we want it all of the time, right? Right? Well, most of us do anyway.
An extra month doesn’t seem too bad, especially considering all of the things that she shield can do. It’s basically an HD screen attached to a high end video game controller, stuffed full of computer guts. That’s a whole lot to handle, and it makes the Shield the first of it’s kind.
Sure we have PS Vita, and the 3DS, but those don’t even come close to standing up to what is essentially a handheld gaming pc. It even has access to Google Play, TegraZone, and Steam. It’s hard to pass up on a device that you can boot up and squeeze in some Borderlands with whenever you happen to be bored.
Nvidia even dropped the price $50, down to $299, and paying less money is always good. The price drop is most likely not tied to the hardware issue at all, but it is just another little nugget that means the Shield is probably worth waiting for. Who wouldn’t pay that to have a little pocket PC who can bring you all the majesty of Steam? Alright, probably plenty of people. Especially considering it’s only $100 cheaper than the PS4. But I won’t see anything walking around with a PS4 in their hands, gaming.
It seems as if most people don’t even know what the Nvidia Shield is to begin with. The people most likely keeping up with it are people who are familiar with Nvidia, and those are PC users. Seems like most of those people probably already own a laptop, for all the reasons one might get the Shield. We do love our toys though, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this made it’s way into the backpack of of PC fans.
This device seems especially good for college students, who can take it out and get some gaming in without having to set up their laptop. I guess we’ll just have to see if people are willing to drop the money to try something new. Chances are this delay is just a bump in the road, and if the Shield succeeds, people will forget about it soon enough.