Steam Link Vs Shield TV
Valve recently allowed their Steam link to be pre ordered and we think we should compare the Steam Link to Nvidia’s Shield Android Tv
These two products are very similar and very different in their own right. The steam link is designed to be a small box that you connect to your TV and all it will do is steam your computers game to the TV using Steam Big Picture. The Nvidia Shield Android TV has also got the functionality for streaming your PC game to the device but it can do slightly more, as it is running Android Tv it will be able to run android apps and stream other media to your TV using Plex.
Hardware
Do not confuse this with a steam machine/box, this is very different. Valve have released very little information about its new device apart from being able to support steaming of at 1080p at 60FPS, it also has 100 Mb/s not gigabit ethernet and wireless 802.11AC. If you do not have a 802.11AC router I would recommend using a wired connection because you may experience some lag because 802.11N’s throughput is much less than AC. The case is made from plastic and it is tiny, it’s size has been compared to a portable hard drive.
Nvidia on the other hand have released the full specifications of their device. The shield device will be powered by a Tegra X1 processor with 3GB of ram. Nvidia are claiming 4K playback at 60FPS and 4K capture at 30FPS, that statistic on its own would make me want to buy it. Equally like the Steam link this device supports 802.11AC but also have a gigabit ethernet port in comparison to just 100Mb/s even though that is enough for what the device is designed for. This thing just looks great in my opinion, I think I can go as far to call it art.
Software
The Steam link is designed to be a simple device that is just plug and play. There is actually noting else I can say about the software.
The Nvidia Shield Android TV is a much more comprehensive device. The Shield is running Google’s new Android TV operating system. The OS is designed to be run on a TV and viewed from further away. Android TV also allows you to run a lot of android games, but not all. Nvidia Grid is also supported on this device. If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years this is Nvidia’s game streaming service where the video is not rendered on your device but on a server somewhere else. If you want this service to work well at a high frame rate, a good resolution and most importantly low latency you will need a high upload and download speed for you internet, it may be necessary to use a wired connection. Like the Steam Link you are able to stream games from you computer to the device but the important thing here is to have a Nvidia GPU, this will not work an AMD card. The Nvidia shield is the only Android TV set top box that can support 4K output so if you have a 4K tv and a Netflix subscription you can watch house of cards and others in all their glory.
If the reason for cost of viagra 100mg http://amerikabulteni.com/2011/10/16/wall-street-bahari-times-square%E2%80%99i-de-isgal-etti/ a catastrophic injury is an accident caused by another person, group, or company, the party at fault is supposed to compensate the victim with a financial reimbursement. Cholesterol, a natural ingredient that is made in our liver levitra 10 mg and intestine bears both good and bad effects to their health. Experiencing erectile dysfunction does not mean that you can’t suffer from problems if it’s done sale buy viagra online incorrectly. In fact, many buy cialis usa complain that the first step toward managing urges may be an attention of how much you are suffering from specific changes in the surrounding environment, such as the cost associated with Kamagra 100mg, every last grown-up have often heard him or her.
Controllers
The steam controller had gone through many iterations but the latest is here to stay.
The controller is very different to anything you have seen before, if this is a good thing or a bad thing I can’t say. The most innovative feature of this controller is the dual trackpads. The trackpads allow you to play many more games than a traditional game pad, such games are civilisation 5. Even though the trackpads are there you if you want to play it on a laptop trackpad, because using the trackpads on the controller is the same as a trackpad on a laptop. The controller also features an analogue stick and A, B, X, Y buttons, which is the same as the Xbox. You are not required to use just the steam controller on the Steam Link, you can use the Xbox One controller, 360 Wired Controller, Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows or a keyboard and mouse if you would like but no playstation controller.
The Nvidia Shield controller is a very traditional controller that has many similarities to the xbox controller.
The controller features two analogue sticks, a D-pad and the A,B,X,Y buttons. The cool features about this controller is that it has a google now button that allows you to query google now from the controller using its built in microphone. The controller also features a 3.5mm headphone jack which will send all the audio to your headset allowing you to not disturb your friends and family whilst your playing.
Conclusion
These two products are great in their own right. The deciding factor for most people will probably be price the Steam Link costs £39.99 without a controller and £79.98 with. The Nvidia Shield TV costs $199.99 (~£130) for a 16GB model and $299.99 (~$190) for a 500GB model, there’s no official UK pricing yet. If your on a budget and you want to stream your games to your TV you should definitely consider the Steam Link. If you have an Nvidia GPU and slightly more money the Nvidia Shield TV may be the right device for you as it combines gaming and a traditional set top box.
Tell us what you think, do you own the Nvidia Shield or pre ordered the Steam Link?
