Tag Archives: TegraZone

Nvidia Spills the Beans, Confirms Game-Changing Shield Tablet

Posted on by
Nvidia Shield Tablet

After launching the Shield handheld gaming console that had quite a few unique selling points, Nvidia now confirms the existence of an Android tablet with the same name.

The only problem about this is that Nvidia did so by mistake. It’s not like this graphics card maker is the first company to officially leak info about its yet-to-be-launched products, but in Nvidia’s case, this is pretty big news.

Unfortunately for the avid gamers that are looking forward to buying the next product launched by Nvidia, there’s not much to say about this device’s specs. As far as I’m concerned, this might as well be a PR stunt, or in proper terms, a trial balloon. Nvidia may or may not have a Shield tablet in the works (while writing this phrase, my mind flew to CIA’s first tweet), and it all depends on the public’s reaction to this piece of news. Knowing gamers, however, it’s anyone’s guess that most people are excited about the prospect of owning such a product.

Nvidia listed this mysterious device on the TegraZone website, where games optimized for the company’s Tegra-based devices are displayed. A few weeks ago, leaked images of a device called Mocha popped up, and this Shield tablet may be one and the same with that powerhouse. Besides the quad-core Tegra K1 (which Nvidia also plans to use in butonless dashboards), Mocha was also equipped with 2GB of RAM (plenty even for today’s most power-hungry games and apps), as well as a 7.9 inch display with a 2,048 x 1,536 resolution.

In the handheld gaming console’s case, the name Shield makes a lot of sense, given the form factor and the folding display, so the number one question regarding the Shield tablet is: How is this device going to look? One great idea would be to add detachable gaming controls, even though there have been attempts to do that from other companies in the past.

I guess we’ll have to wait and see if the Shield tablet is a real device, or if all of this was a hoax. The company has yet to officially comment this leak or to make an announcement, so until such a moment in time, gamers need to wait patiently. Maybe their hopes will materialize in the form of the Shield Android slate.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Nvidia’s plans to make dashboards buttonless using Tegra K1, and the first unveiling of Nvidia’s Project Shield.

Mad Catz CEO announces ‘Project M.O.J.O.’ Android gaming console coming at E3

Posted on by

Mad Catz CEO announces 'Project MOJO' Android gaming console coming at E3

So, what with E3 just over the horizon, we're expecting a bunch of gaming news. But a new contestant in the Android gaming market? From an established gaming hardware maker? Well, apparently so, according to Mad Catz CEO Darren Richardson who announced "Project M.O.J.O." in a recent earnings call. Calling it an Android "micro console," Richardson claims it's like a supercharged smartphone, without a display, that you plug into a flatscreen TV. Richardson was also keen to stress that it's all about hardware performance, and will be open platform (rather than selling content). There are no details about specification at this stage, but M.O.J.O. is likely to be the fruit of a recent NVIDIA partnership, and will be the centerpiece of Mad Catz's own GameSmart products, which ensures a slew of peripherals and controller options. This partnership also likely means Tegra Zone compatibility, and therefore games from launch. For now we'll have to sit and wait, but it looks like Android gaming is about to step up a gear.

Filed under:

Comments

Via: Things Micro

Nyko’s TegraZone PlayPad game controllers now available: two different styles for $39.99 each

Posted on by

Nyko's TegraZone PlayPad gaming controllers land

The PlayPad and the PlayPad Pro controllers from Nyko have just reported for Android gaming duties, each carrying a $39.99 sticker. There's no sign of the multicolored options we saw back in June, but the PlayPad does come in black or white and is bundled with a carry case and a folding stand for phones and tablets, while its larger and apparently more ergonomic sibling is offered only in black and is a GameStop exclusive. The wireless duo latch on to Android (3.0 or greater) devices using Bluetooth and are optimized for those with a Tegra processor, such as the Nexus 7 and the HTC One X+. There's an app -- called Playground -- which lets either controller work with legacy titles that don't specifically support its Bluetooth instructions, along with a mouse mode, PC and Mac support, and even the option to play on iOS devices loaded with iCade games. Sure, these controllers may not have faux-recoil or venomous branding, but perhaps they don't need to -- especially since they're cheaper than some of the competition.

Continue reading Nyko's TegraZone PlayPad game controllers now available: two different styles for $39.99 each

Filed under: ,

Nyko's TegraZone PlayPad game controllers now available: two different styles for $39.99 each originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 09:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Central  |  sourceNyko  | Email this | Comments

Hands-on with Wikipad, the $500 Android gaming tablet (video)

Posted on by

Handson with Wikipad, the $500 Android gaming tablet

The Wikipad is an anomaly. It's a 10.1-inch, $500 Android tablet aimed squarely at gamers -- an expensive portal to a platform many mobile game developers have abandoned due to piracy. It's got an IPS display with 1,280 x 800 resolution, an NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30 quad-core 1.4GHz processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (at launch). So ... it's not quite as sharp in the graphics department as some other tablets on the market, nor is it as pretty as its main handheld gaming competition, the PlayStation Vita. On top of that, it's from an engineering firm that you've never heard of -- Wikipad is also the name of the business behind the tablet, and this is the company's first product launch. Oh, and did we mention that the main selling point is an attachable game controller that frames half the tablet in a mess of plastic buttons, joysticks, and speakers? And no, the controller won't be sold separately, nor will it work with any other tablet.

Defying all logic, however, the Wikipad feels like a surprisingly solid piece of equipment (regardless of the fact that the prototype model we used was hand-built). From the light but solid construction of the tablet's chassis, to its grippy molded rear -- which helps both for gripping the tablet without the controller attached and assists sound amplification when the device is laid down -- nothing about the device feels cheap. As a tablet, it's speedy and responsive. Apps load quickly and smoothly, and it's got extra loud speakers for gaming without headphones (or for David Guetta, as was demonstrated to us). The custom skin it was running felt a bit rough -- the apps get reorganized with a gaming focus and slapped onto a flippable cube, which caused some visual stuttering from pane to pane. Another feature of the custom OS is a special 3D game launcher, which includes sections for Nvidia's Tegra Zone, PlayStation Mobile games, GameStop-suggested titles, and Google Play. There are some less than exciting ad banners attached to this launcher, but they're easily ignorable. Though Gaikai is still working with the Wikipad post-Sony buyout, CEO James Bower told us the game streaming service won't be there at launch -- he's hoping it'll arrive by year's end, "but that's up to Sony."

Gallery: Wikipad hands-on

Continue reading Hands-on with Wikipad, the $500 Android gaming tablet (video)

Filed under: , , ,

Hands-on with Wikipad, the $500 Android gaming tablet (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

NVIDIA Developer Zone shut down, may have been hacked

Posted on by

NVIDIA Developer Zone shut down, may have been hacked

Bad news from the land of Tegra. NVIDIA has shut down its Developer Zone forums after noticing what it calls "attacks on the site by unauthorized third parties." While the nature of the attacks isn't clear, what's troubling is that these attackers "may have gained access to hashed passwords." Users are of course encouraged to change their secret codes and, with all the hackery going on lately, we might recommend you just go ahead and change them all -- just in case.


[Thanks, Alfredo]

Filed under:

NVIDIA Developer Zone shut down, may have been hacked originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 07:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Nyko, NVIDIA out pair of PlayPad controllers for TegraZone gaming

Posted on by

Nyko, NVIDIA out pair of PlayPad controllers for TegraZone gaming

If anything's giving gaming juggernauts like Nintendo and Sony reason to look over their shoulders, it's the recent uptick in mobile gaming. And much to those titans' chagrin, Nyko's come to stir the pot. Announced just today, the accessory maker's outing a new line of wireless controllers made specifically for TegraZone titles. The peripherals, co-developed with NVIDIA, come in two distinct sizes: the PlayPad Pro for more traditional gaming with its dual analog controllers, d-pad and array of shoulder and face buttons, and the diminutive PlayPad with its dual analog sliders, carrying case and foldable stand for a truer portable experience. Though both controllers are designed for use with optimized Tegra 2 or 3 titles, legacy games will also be supported via the accessory maker's free Playground app, which will also allow for customized layouts, as well as pre-sets for top titles on devices running Android 3.0 and up. No pricing or concrete release information's been made available at the moment, with the company mentioning only a Fall launch for later this year. We'll be sure to have a hands-on coming in the hours ahead, but for now, content yourself with the presser below.

Continue reading Nyko, NVIDIA out pair of PlayPad controllers for TegraZone gaming

Nyko, NVIDIA out pair of PlayPad controllers for TegraZone gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 12:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments