Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 review: Now with Android Marshmallow

Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 review: Display and sound

It appears Nvidia has used the same display panel in the K1 as it did for the original Shield Tablet; both have a 1,920×1,200 resolution and relatively high pixel density of 283ppi. An sRGB colour gamut coverage of 79.2% was above average when the Shield first launched, but in a £150 tablet it’s a very respectable score indeed. Black levels remain rather high at 0.4cd/m2, and a contrast ratio of 823:1 wasn’t particularly high, but an above average maximum brightness of 434cd/m2 gives photos and videos plenty of punch.

Importantly, viewing angles are excellent, and while not earth-shattering, the panel is easily one of the best you’ll get in a £150 Android tablet.

The side-firing stereo speakers are still some of the best we’ve heard from a tablet, producing a clear mid-range and relatively crisp trebles. There’s even some semblance of bass presence, and stereo separation was noticeable in films and TV. You won’t need to reach for a pair of headphones for YouTube or Twitch videos, either, as the speakers are impressively loud.

Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 review: Camera

The 5-megapixel cameras on the front and back produce fairly respectable images outdoors where there’s lots of light. Saturation is reasonable, but they were a little soft. The HDR mode left images looking a little washed-out, and there was still a lack of sharpness. The front-facing camera works surprisingly well indoors and in low light, as would be the most likely situation when streaming game commentary using the Shield’s Twitch integration.

Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 review: Verdict

We loved the Nvidia Shield when it first arrived, and the price cut only makes us love it more. For £150 there’s very little else out there that’s as powerful or as flexible when it comes to gaming. Losing the stylus and power adaptor to significantly lower the price doesn’t make it any less of a bargain, as we didn’t find the stylus very useful and have plenty of USB cables lying around.

The design, while tweaked, can’t compete with the Asus ZenPad S, and many will prefer Google’s Nexus 9 for its 4:3 aspect ratio display, but you’ll have to spend significantly more to get anything better. It retains its Best Buy award. Buy Now from eBay.