It’s been over a decade since NVIDIA launched the first Shield TV, with a new interview confirming that the team is still working on new hardware.
Senior Editor
Published Feb 3, 2026 7:58 AM CST
1 minute & 30 seconds read time
TL;DR: NVIDIA Shield TV, launched in 2015, remains a top streaming device in 2026 due to continuous software updates and long-term support. NVIDIA’s commitment to making Shield TV the most supported Android device in history also includes the potential for new hardware in the future.
NVIDIA first released the Shield TV back in 2015, and even though a decade is like an eternity in the world of processors, graphics cards, and PC technology, it’s still one of the best hardware streamers in 2026. The Shield has been revised a couple of times over the year…
It’s been over a decade since NVIDIA launched the first Shield TV, with a new interview confirming that the team is still working on new hardware.
Senior Editor
Published Feb 3, 2026 7:58 AM CST
1 minute & 30 seconds read time
TL;DR: NVIDIA Shield TV, launched in 2015, remains a top streaming device in 2026 due to continuous software updates and long-term support. NVIDIA’s commitment to making Shield TV the most supported Android device in history also includes the potential for new hardware in the future.
NVIDIA first released the Shield TV back in 2015, and even though a decade is like an eternity in the world of processors, graphics cards, and PC technology, it’s still one of the best hardware streamers in 2026. The Shield has been revised a couple of times over the years, but even though we haven’t seen a new model since 2029, the NVIDIA Shield TV family of devices is still getting updated.
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And that doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon. Speaking candidly with Ars Technica, Andrew Bell, NVIDIA’s Senior VP of Hardware Engineering, says that supporting these devices is a labor of love as the teams built the Shield for themselves after being frustrated with the quality of streamers and set-top devices in the market.
"We were all frustrated as buyers of phones and tablets, that you buy a device, you get one or two updates, and that’s it!" Andrew Bell explains. "Early on, when we were building Shield TV, we decided we were going to make it for a long time. Jensen and I had a discussion, and it was, ‘How long do we want to support this thing?’ And Jensen said, ‘For as long as we shall live.’"
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And already, the Shield TV is the most supported Android device in history, starting with Android 5.0 and going all the way up to Android 11. This is something no other phone, tablet, TV, or streaming box has managed to do. And NVIDIA is still manufacturing and selling Shield TV devices, raising the question of whether we’ll see a next-generation model at some point.
"We’re always playing in the labs, trying to discover new things," Andrew Bell said when asked about new hardware. "We’ve played with new concepts for Shield, and we’ll continue to play, and if we find something we’re super-excited about, we’ll probably make a go of it."
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Senior Editor
Kosta is a veteran gaming journalist that cut his teeth on well-respected Aussie publications like PC PowerPlay and HYPER back when articles were printed on paper. A lifelong gamer since the 8-bit Nintendo era, it was the CD-ROM-powered 90s that cemented his love for all things games and technology. From point-and-click adventure games to RTS games with full-motion video cut-scenes and FPS titles referred to as Doom clones. Genres he still loves to this day. Kosta is also a musician, releasing dreamy electronic jams under the name Kbit.