Tablets are well for many things, but gaming isn't exclusively one of them. Most are designed for media usage, like browsing through photos on Facebook and watching movies on Netflix. That isn't the case with the Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 ($199.99, 16GB), an Android slate that's optimized for gaming on both the hardware and software fronts. Sure, it can manage photos and video just fine, but thanks to a combination of powerful on-board gaming performance and the ability to play PC titles via GeForce Now, the K1 is the ultimate gaming tablet. When you factor in its comparatively affordable cost, it becomes our new Editors' Choice for midrange Android tablets.
Design and Features
The Shield Tablet K1 is the continuer to the original Nvidia Shield Tablet, which was look back for overheating issues. The K1 is probably safer, but from an aesthetic standpoint, not much has changed. Oppose with the striking Acer Predator 8, the K1 is simply modest in design. While the Predator has sharp, jutting edges and flashy red and silver colors, the K1 is simply a plain black slate. The dimension is 8.7 by 5.0 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 12.5 ounces, which is about the same as the Predator 8. The back has a matte black finish with a large Shield logo in the middle and a 5 megapixel camera at the top right.
The top and bottom of the front of the tablet are faced with rubber grips, making it easier to handle when gaming. Another 5 megapixel camera sits in the center of the top rubber strip. On the left edge of the tablet are 2 small holes where you can magnetically attach a folding cover (sold separately for $39.99). The right edge is home to a power button, volume controls, and a microSD slot that can handle cards up to 200GB, this is notable, since the tablet comes with only 16GB on onboard storage.
The top and bottom edges both house speaker grids. The micro USB port is on top, along with a mini HDMI port for plugging the tablet into your television.
The display is a solid 8 inches 1,920 by 1,200 pixel panel, the same size and resolution as the Predator 8. Both screens look great, but neither pops in quite the same way as the 2,048 by 1,536 AMOLED screen on the more expensive Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0.
Software and Games
The K1 runs a stock build of Android 5.0 Lollipop. Of the 16GB of internal storage, 11.24GB is available out of the box. Aside from the standard suite of Google apps, you get a few apps from Nvidia, including Shield Hub, where you can buy games, and Dabbler, for drawing.
You can join GeForce Now too, which costs $7.99 per month, though your first three months with the Shield are free, Nvidia's cloud service that streams popular PC games to the tablet. There are reams of titles available on the service, including Batman: Arkham Origins, Mad Max, and The Witcher 3. The app allows you to stream games at 1080p at up to 60 frames per second. This is especially useful because Android merely isn't the best gaming platform. By putting a bunch of high quality PC titles at your fingertips, the K1 has an automatic leg up on the competition.
The K1 doesn't integrate with the Shield TV or the Shield Portable, but it does work with the Shield Controller. The Shield Controller favor a standard Xbox controller, and gives you a much greater handle on gameplay than just using the tablet screen itself. And if you connect the K1 to your television, it almost feels like playing on a dedicated console.
Performance
The K1 runs on an ARM Cortex A15 CPU that clocks in at 2.2GHz, along with Nvidia's own Tegra K1 192-core Kepler GPU, which makes for some impressive performance results. On the Antutu benchmark, which tests overall system performance, the tablet scored an impressive 73,626, slightly edging out the Acer Predator 8 (73,020), and blazing past the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 (52,137), though this is due in part to the K1's lower display resolution. The only tablet we've tested with faster performance is the Google Pixel C, which scored 90,291.
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For a gaming tablet, you want strong graphics performance. The K1 averaged 13 frames per second on the GFXBench 1080p Car Chase test. The Predator 8,meantime, only managed 8fps on the same benchmark. Though neither of these results is a very playable frame rate, it does mean that you will see faster performance on the K1 for everyday titles. Indeed, playing Asphalt 8, Airborne was fast and responsive. I lose the immersive haptic feedback delivered by the Acer Predator 8, but it's not a immense loss since it's only available for a limited number of games.
The rear facing 5 megapixel camera is quick to focus and shoot, and takes clear photos that are maybe just a little too saturated. The cool part is that the tablet also has a 5 megapixel front facing camera that delivers similar performance. I was able to see nearly all the details in my face, which makes for higher quality selfies and video calls.
Video playback is good, with a bright picture, accurate colors, and full, rich sound through the top and bottom speakers. The Predator 8 has an edge in this department thanks to its four front facing speakers, but you won't be disappointed here.
The K1 really stands out when it comes to battery life. The 5,200mAh battery lasted 6 hours and 13 minutes in our rundown test, which streams video over Wi-Fi at full screen brightness. That's more than double the Acer Predator 8 (2 hours, 40 minutes), which is an important feature to consider when using your tablet on a long car or plane ride.
Conclusions
The Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 is a good midrange slate, and not just for gaming. It delivers powerful performance, a light and unassuming body, and very good battery liffe. Add to that the fact that it can play more games than any other Android tablet, and you have a winner for gamers and non gamers common. The Predator 8 gets you better sound quality and haptic feedback, but it costs $100 more and doesn't have access to GeForce Now games. The Galaxy Tab S2 is another good choice, with a sharper screen and multi-window multitasking, but it's even more expensive at $400. That makes the K1 a top pick among midrange tablets, and an Editors' Choice.
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