Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
NVIDIA made tech headlines this week when it announced the RTX Spark processors for Windows laptops. These chips will power Windows-on-Arm laptops and desktop PCs launching later this year, ending Qualcomm’s reign as the sole Arm-based chipmaker for Windows.
We’re expecting RTX Spark machines to bring a ton of horsepower, impressive AI capabilities, and good battery life. But despite all these impressive claims, there’s only one thing I want from NVIDIA in 2026: a new Shield TV.
Would you buy a new Shield TV?
2 votes
Yes, absolutely
100%
Maybe, it depends on features/pricing
0%
No, I’m happy with my current Shield
0%
No, I’m happy with my non-Shield TV box
0%
The time is right for a new Shield TV
NVIDIA first launched the Shield TV boxes in 2015, with the 2017 and 2019 models retaining the same fundamental chipset and software experience. The Tegra X1 chip was a beast at the time, and it’s still a pretty capable streaming box processor in 2026. But we’re definitely due for a silicon upgrade after 10 years.
The graphics giant doesn’t even need to take the RTX Spark route with a ridiculously powerful chip. NVIDIA’s T239 chip powers the Nintendo Switch 2, but even a nerfed version would still be an extremely beefy processor for TV streaming boxes.
All of this horsepower wouldn’t go to waste, either. For starters, a more powerful and capable Shield TV opens the door to many new media features. This includes AV1 decoding, support for newer HDR formats, improved upscaling, newer Bluetooth standards, and Wi-Fi 6 or 7.
The current Shield TV models (except the Tube model) are still the best TV boxes for gamers, thanks to the chipset and 64-bit OS. However, the Tegra X1 has fallen behind for modern games and apps. As such, a more powerful Shield would be a godsend here, allowing users to play both original and ported games. And we’ve seen a host of console/PC games ported to Android in the last few years, such as GRID Legends, Dead Cells, Subnautica, and Slime Rancher. Being able to easily play these games on the big screen with all the bells and whistles would be a great experience.
Better yet, an upgraded Shield with a more modern chipset would also be a fantastic emulation machine. Since the last NVIDIA Shield TV release in 2019, we’ve seen great emulators for consoles like the PS2, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation Vita. But we’ve also seen apps like GameNative, GameHub, and Winlator that let you run a variety of PC games on Android. Taken together, it’s clear that all this extra horsepower wouldn’t go to waste.
I don’t care for most AI features, but a new Shield TV with upgraded silicon could theoretically deliver plenty in this regard, too. This includes offline dictation, more advanced upscaling, natural language settings seen on Galaxy phones, Live Caption, and perhaps even locally processed object recognition for smart cameras.
An upgraded Shield TV would be great for gaming, but it would also enable NVIDIA to add new media features.
Finally, one of the biggest reasons to get a Shield TV is that these streaming gadgets get system updates for ages. However, the current Shield models are still stuck on Android 11 after all this time. I imagine that a more powerful TV box with a relatively modern processor would support OS upgrades for years. Even if NVIDIA doesn’t bring a steady stream of OS upgrades to a new Shield, more recent Google TV builds benefit from Project Mainline. This project allows an OEM or Google to update parts of the system without upgrading the entire platform altogether.
A new Shield would be the standard bearer for Google TV
My wish for a new Shield TV also comes as the Google TV ecosystem makes some significant strides. There still isn’t a proper Shield alternative, as virtually all Google TV boxes lack the NVIDIA device’s horsepower. However, brands like Google and Walmart’s Onn have released models with more RAM and storage than typical TV boxes.
Shield TV models are also among the only Android TV boxes on the market running a 64-bit version of Android, allowing them to run a wider variety of apps (e.g., new games and emulators). There’s some ecosystem progress here, though, as Google has mandated 64-bit versions of TV apps by August 2026. The search giant isn’t mandating TV boxes with 64-bit Android just yet, but the transition has clearly begun.
So it looks like the ecosystem is moving in the right direction. But a new Shield model would clearly serve as a great showcase for the evolved platform, while also highlighting what’s possible to other OEMs.
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