After the recall, Nvidia Shield tablet is back - and it's $199
Nvidia has released the Shield Tablet K1 as the second incarnation of the high-end Shield tablet recalled earlier this year due to a fire risk caused by an overheating battery.
The good news for fans of the first device is that the new tablet offers roughly the same hardware but for about $100 less than the original, costing $199 in the US and £149.99 in the UK.
Like the first model, the Shield Tablet K1 offers an eight-inch display with a 1,920 x 1,200 pixel resolution, 2GB RAM, Nvidia's Tegra K1 system on chip and 16GB in-built storage with microSD support up to 128GB.
The look hasn't changed much either, with two front-facing speakers top and tailing the device. However, the 32GB variant formerly available has now gone.
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Though the tablet is aimed at gamers and Nvidia's inventory of games, it also offers access to Google Play apps, making it a solid tablet for streaming, say, Netflix as the mini HDMI output makes it easy to connect to a larger display.
With the Shield cover, the tablet can also be propped in an upright position to support gaming with the Shield handheld controller.
The device is currently shipping with Android 5.0 Lollipop. However, Nvidia said it will be one of the first tablets to get the Android 6.0 Marshmallow release as an over-the-air update.
The catch to the new Shield is that Nvidia has trimmed everything possible to deliver it, nudging seeming essentials such as a charger unit over to "optional accessories". Despite this decision, it's still an attractive price for a powerful tablet.
For gamers, the key accessory is Nvidia's Shield controller, which retails for $59, while a cover costs $39 and the DirectStylus -- formerly included with the Shield -- costs $19. The charger meanwhile will cost an extra $29.