Jordan O'BrienThe new Nvidia Shield TV was one of the signature launches of CES 2017, although the hardware isn’t completely new. In fact, much of what was announced at CES was based on new software features, and Nvidia has confirmed that the 2015 Shield TV model will be receiving most of those features in a comprehensive update coming next week.
Nicknamed the ‘Shield Experience Upgrade 5.0’, the update will bring new features such as support for the Amazon Video app, Twitter, NFL and Comedy Central. The 2015 set-top box is also receiving the same gaming chops as the newer model, with the GeForce Now game streaming service being upgraded to offer up to GeForce GTX 1080 graphics. Users will also be able to stream from their own gaming PCs at resolutions up to 4K HDR.
The update was initially tipped to be rolling out this week, although Nvidia has since clarified that it’s not quite ready. Despite the delay, the Nvidia Shield TV update will arrive ‘in the next week or so’.
There are a few features that won’t come in this update – including the Google Assistant. Once the Google Assistant does debut, it can be expected to land on both the 2015 and 2017 models, although the 2017 model will be the only one to ship with hands-free operation out of the box. For 2015 Nvidia Shield TV owners to benefit from the always-listening Google Assistant, they will either have to get themselves an Nvidia Spot or the new gamepad.