Overview
The Shield Portable is a premium clamshell retro handheld from Nvidia with a 5.0-inch 1280×720 IPS screen, WiFi and Bluetooth, and runs Android 5.1. It is best suited for PS1, Genesis, GBA, SNES, with support listed up to DS. It typically sells for around $299.
- Screen
- 5.0 inch IPS
- Chipset
- Nvidia Tegra 4
- RAM
- 2 GB DDR3
- Battery
- 7350 mAh
- Weight
- 579 grams
- OS
- Android 5.1
Emulation
- Classicexcellent
- NESExcellent
- Game BoyExcellent
- SNESExcellent
- GBAExcellent
- GenesisExcellent
- PS1Excellent
- Mid-genmixed
- N64Good
- DSGood
- PSPPlayable
- DreamcastPlayable
- SaturnLimited
- 6th genunsupported
- GameCubeNo
- WiiNo
- PS2No
- Modernunsupported
- 3DSNo
- Wii UNo
- PS3No
- SwitchNo
Notes on 18 systems
- DS: Nintendo DS: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
- 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- N64: Nintendo 64: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
- NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- PS1: Sony Playstation: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
- Wii: Nintendo Wii: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- Saturn: Sega Saturn: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
- Switch: Nintendo Switch: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
Played on the Nvidia Shield Portable
No sessions on the Nvidia Shield Portable yet. Own one? Add it to your shelf and your play shows up here.
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Specifications
General
- Released
- July 2013
- Type
- Handheld, Clamshell
- Operating system
- Android 5.1
- Price range
- Premium
Display
- Screen
- 5.0 inch IPS
- Resolution
- 1280 x 720 (16:9)
- Pixel density
- 293.72 PPI
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
Performance
- Chipset
- Nvidia Tegra 4
- CPU
- Cortex-A15, 4 cores, 1.9 GHz
- GPU
- Nvidia GeForce Tegra 4, 672 MHz
- RAM
- 2 GB DDR3
- Storage
- Internal 16 GB & External MicroSD
- Architecture
- ARM
Battery and build
- Battery
- 7350 mAh
- Weight
- 579 grams
- Dimensions
- 158 mm x 135 mm x 57 mm
- Material
- Plastic
- Cooling
- Active (fan)
Controls
- D-pad
- Top
- Sticks
- Symmetrical
- Shoulders
- Stacked
- Inputs
- Analog sticks, L3/R3, Analog L2/R2, Touch screen, Gyroscope
- Extra buttons
- Power, Home, Volume, Back
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- WiFi 4
- Bluetooth
- 3.0
- Ports
- HDMI out, 3.5mm jack
- Storage slot
- microSD
- Speakers
- Stereo
FAQ
What systems can the Nvidia Shield Portable emulate?
The Nvidia Shield Portable plays systems up to DS well. It is at its best with PS1, Genesis, GBA, SNES.
Can the Nvidia Shield Portable play DS games?
Yes. DS performance on the Nvidia Shield Portable is rated good in our catalog. Nintendo DS: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
Can the Nvidia Shield Portable play PSP games?
Only partially. PSP on the Nvidia Shield Portable is playable with compromises. Sony Playstation Portable: Most games playable but mostly with frameskip, struggles with harder to emulate games
How much does the Nvidia Shield Portable cost?
The Nvidia Shield Portable typically sells for around $299, which puts it in the premium tier of retro handhelds.
What operating system does the Nvidia Shield Portable run?
The Nvidia Shield Portable ships with Android 5.1.
What screen does the Nvidia Shield Portable have?
It has a 5.0 inch IPS display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, running at 1280 x 720 at 293.72 PPI.
Price alert
We’re not tracking prices for this one yet.
Reviews
No reviews of the Nvidia Shield Portable yet. Own one? Say what you play on it, which firmware you run, and where it sits in your rotation.
