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NVShieldFeature

Nvidia has announced a replacement program for its Shield Pro console, though the company claims only a tiny fraction of the shipped devices are actually afflicted. According to the company, this recall only affects Shield Pro users who bought the 500GB version of the console, not standard users with the 16GB flavor. Co-ordinate to Nvidia, devices that demand to be replaced are those which exhibit the following characteristics (screenshot from Nvidia'southward GeForce forum):

NV-Recall

Nvidia hasn't given whatever farther information on what acquired the issue, simply has promised to supersede the defective units for customers, or to piece of work with them to secure RMAs through other retailers where it is able to exercise and then. The company claims that less-than 1% of all units have been impacted, simply also notes that the issue can "worsen over time." If you're seeing issues with graphical corruption or unusual pauses today, in other words, you'd best deal with the problem now before things get worse.

The timing on this particular call back is a scrap awkward, given that NV prominently called out the Apple Television in a recent blog mail service. aggressively positioning Shield as the best all-in-one microconsole and dismissing the Apple Goggle box every bit merely expert for people who play "Crossyroad" [sic]. (This appears to be a misspelled reference to the mobile game "Crossy Road," which debuted for iOS late last year).

CrossyRoad

To be fair to Nvidia, it'due south not wrong — the Shield Television receiver is 1 of the most powerful microconsole gaming platforms available today — but it'south embarrassing to be recalling your own hardware less than a week after slamming Apple's latest fix-top box. There'south also the fact that while it may be the about powerful of the micro-consoles, micro-consoles themselves aren't exactly setting the world on fire. Hardcore gamers are still opting for the Xbox One and PS4, while casual gamers are happy with relatively modest game performance. Nvidia'due south Maxwell gives them an advantage in this infinite, to exist sure, and they offering game streaming options that other providers tin't match — merely are those features plenty to bulldoze products similar Shield as a wedge into the wider gaming market? So far, the answer seems to be "No" — and that may limit Shield TV's entreatment in the long term.

This is as well the 2d recent recall of Shield hardware, and though we applaud Nvidia for taking action to resolve the problems it'south encountered with each Shield device, announcements like this can leave the impression that the hardware is less-than-reliable. So far we run across no sign that'southward true, only if you have a device affected by the recall, drop in and permit united states of america know if new hardware fixes the problem.