Nvidia has supported its Shield TV streaming device for a full decade, outpacing other Android hardware in long-term updates. The company released the first model in 2015 and continues to provide fixes and features as of 2025. Senior VP Andrew Bell describes the effort as a labor of love driven by internal passion.
Nvidia launched the original Shield Android TV in 2015 as a high-performance streaming box with a gaming emphasis, powered by its Tegra X1 chip. According to Andrew Bell, Nvidia's senior VP of hardware engineering who has been with the company for 25 years, the device stemmed from engineers' desire for a premium TV streamer outside the Apple ecosystem. "Selfishly, a little bit, we built Shield for ourselves," Bell told Ars Technica, noting that CEO Jensen Huang encouraged its commercialization after seeing prototypes.
Initially focused on games via local play and GeForce Now cloud streaming, later models in 2017 and 2019 shifted toward enhanced streaming, recognizing broader user preferences. The Shield Pro remains priced at $200, with steady sales volumes over the years despite pricing experiments. Bell emphasized quality: "We were the only company that was like, ‘Let’s go after people who really want a premium experience.’"
Support has been exceptional, upgrading from Android 5.0 to 11, far beyond typical Android devices. A notable challenge arose from a Tegra X1 vulnerability, similar to one exploited on the Nintendo Switch, causing 4K DRM playback failures on 2015 and 2017 models. After a two-year update hiatus in 2023 and 2024—spent developing a new security stack—Nvidia released Patch 9.2 in February 2025, restoring functionality. This fix, taking 18 months, fulfilled Huang's pledge to support the device "for as long as we shall live."
Even with component shortages, Nvidia qualifies alternatives to keep production going. Bell reports no immediate plans to end updates or manufacturing, and lab experiments hint at potential future hardware supporting advanced formats like AV1 and improved Dolby Vision, plus a smaller Netflix button on the remote.
