NVIDIA Shield tablet returns for the holidays, now starting at $199

That’s $100 less than the original Shield Tablet debuted at, and there are really only a couple of losses. It’s also now being called the SHIELD Tablet K1 instead of just SHIELD Tablet. The external hardware is almost identical, the screen and internals are unchanged, but one big area that has changed is price – you can have a Shield Tablet K1 for just $199. A wide variety of Android games can be enjoyed natively on SHIELD tablet K1. From family games and indie hits to the most advanced Android titles – all with rich gameplay and intense multiplayer action.

The Shield line of devices has features like the ability to stream games from your PC or Nvidia’s own GeForce Now cloud service, and includes built-in Twitch integration. Three months of free access will be included with each purchase, after which it’ll be $7.99 per month.

Months removed from a recall over a fire hazard stemming from a batch of defective batteries, NVIDIA’s gaming-centric SHIELD Tablet is back and ready for action, and with a brand new price to boot. NVIDIA will also be introducing Android 6.0 Marshmallow on SHIELD tablet K1 in the coming months, this according to the company’s announcements earlier today. At that price point, NVIDIA’s tablet should be one of the first that you look at when you’re shopping for a new Android tablet.

The Shield Tablet K1 even retains the same dimensions and battery size as its predecessor, which means you shouldn’t expect the former to be the slimmest tablet around.

For accessories, a wireless controller will be $59.99, a cover for $39.99, and the DirectStylus 2 – which the Shield Tablet K1 is still compatible with, if not bundled with – for $19.99. Benchmark numbers provided by Nvidia imply the upgraded Shield Tablet is now faster than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and the Apple iPad Mini 4, and our time with the original Shield Tablet has already shown us that real-world usage won’t be an issue.