Update: A 3rd-gen Nvidia Shield TV seems more likely than ever, with rumors of a November launch to coincide with the Google Stadia cloud gaming platform.]
The Nvidia Shield TV has long been one of the best Android TV boxes on the market, and indeed one of the best set-top boxes full stop, but it's fair to say that it's due a refresh – and according to code spotted in Google's developer tools, that refresh could be imminent.
The Google Play Console dashboard now makes reference to a new Nvidia Shield TV configuration codenamed 'mdarcy', which would appear to be a slight variation on the current 'darcy' model.
On the surface at least, there don't seem to be too many differences between the two models – perhaps the most significant one being that the new model comes with Android 9 Pie on board.
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The updated model still has the same Tegra X1 T210 chip as the old one, as per the uncovered listing, but that could just be a placeholder.
New accessories too?
It's not the first we've heard about a revised and updated Nvidia Shield TV this year. Back in March, code buried in the software on the box itself referenced some new hardware, though in that case it was apparently upgraded input devices that were on the table.
With the most recent refresh of the Nvidia Shield TV two years ago, the timing seems right for an updated model, whether that's the main box itself, the remote and controller that go with it, or everything at once.
Android TV fans don't have a lot of choice when it comes to finding devices with Google's TV OS built in – you can find it on televisions made by the likes of Sony and TCL, but Google itself seems more interested in the Chromecast.
A new Nvidia Shield TV could give Android TV the boost it needs in an increasingly competitive market – and who knows, it might just come with integrated Google Stadia support as well.
Via Android Police
