Project Shield: what you need to know

The Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 aren't the only new gaming systems we'll see this year: there's a new platform in town, and its name is Project Shield. It's not a Sony device, a Microsoft one or a Nintendo one: it's from GPU and CPU firm Nvidia, which showed it off at this year's CES show.

Project Shield may be an odd-looking thing, but it packs a powerful processor - the most powerful mobile processor in the world, in fact - and has access to a truly massive library of games, including PC ones.

Here's what you need to know about gaming's newest name.

What is it?

Project Shield looks like somebody glued an Xbox controller to an Android tablet, and that's pretty much what it is: it's a very powerful mobile Android device aimed at gamers who want proper controls as well as touch-screen ones, so in addition to a multitouch display it also gives you hardware controls including twin analogue sticks, a D-pad and ABXY buttons.

Those controls aren't just for Android games, though: Project Shield can stream games from compatible PCs too, enabling you to play them anywhere your Wi-Fi can reach. It's like a Wii U controller for PC gamers.

Operating system

Project Shield is an Android Jelly Bean device, which means it'll support games from Google Play as well as Nvidia's own TegraZone and whatever you stream from your PC - so potentially you've got access to thousands and thousands of titles. Android fans will be pleased to hear that Nvidia hasn't added its own custom skin to Jelly Bean: Project Shield offers the standard Android UI.

Streaming games from your PC

If you have the right graphics card in your PC - a GeForce GTX 650 (desktop) or GTX 660M (notebook) or better - you'll be able to play games from your PC by streaming them over Wi-Fi (Shield has 802.11n 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi, which is nice and speedy).

In the longer term you'll be able to stream games from your PC to Shield and from Shield to your TV, but for now the TV output is via the HDMI port. Nvidia's demos showed what appeared to be silky-smooth, lag-free streaming, and we hope the real-world experience is identical.

Does its PC gaming include Steam games?

Yes, Project Shield plays Steam games if you have the right hardware. It works with Steam's Big Picture Mode.

Processor, display and specifications

Nvidia hasn't published detailed specs yet, but we do know that Project Shield's processor is a quad-core Tegra 4 with an impressive 72-core GPU. The flip-up display is a five-inch, 1280 x 720 "retinal" display, and you can also use Project Shield to send 4K HD video via HDMI.

The device also includes what Nvidia describes as a Beats Audio-rivalling "custom, bass-reflex, tuned port audio system" - speakers, then - and HDMI, micro-SD and micro-USB slots.

Battery life

There's not much point in having a handheld games console if it runs out of puff after a handful of headshots, but thankfully Project Shield is up to the task: Nvidia says that the Project Shield battery is a 38 watt hour job, which should be good for between 5 and 10 hours of gaming.

Price and release date

You'll be shocked - shocked! - to discover that Nvidia is keeping quiet about Project Shield's price for the time being, but it's been a little more forthcoming about its launch plans: the US release date and Canadian release date are scheduled for the second quarter of 2013.

There's no word of the UK release date just yet, but we can't imagine it'll be too long afterwards.