We may receive a commission on purchases made through links.
If you were to ask us for help finding a flagship streaming device from one of the big brands for your brand-new TV, we would likely steer you toward a Roku, which handles many tasks better than a smart TV, or the Apple TV 4K, especially if you use Apple devices and apps. We would not, under normal circumstances, point your attention to a device released in 2019.
But these are not normal circumstances, and the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, which is Consumer Reports’ highest-rated streaming device, is still a remarkable piece of tech. It comes with 3 GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, two USB-A 3.0 ports and an HDMI 2.0 port, plus a gigabit Ethernet connection. In its analysis of the device, CR gives it high marks for ease of use, picture quality, and features; other professional reviews agree.
This model has been available for many years now, so it’s pleasing to see it score so well in CR’s reporting. It’s also surprising because, as you’d expect from a streaming device made by a company that mostly makes graphics cards, it isn’t exactly the obvious recommendation for the average person. It’s much bigger than most streaming sticks, and it’s also pricey, coming in at a whopping $200. Do you know how many tech items you can get for under $200? That said, there are a lot of things to love about the Shield TV Pro.
What makes the Nvidia Shield TV Pro so good?
Nvidia’s top-of-the-line streaming device supports a huge range of streaming services. Pretty much every major streaming app is available on Shield TV. CR’s own reporting seems to have missed support for Apple TV+, which is currently advertised on Nvidia’s website, and still came away impressed by the number of services supported. The built-in Google Play Store must have been a big help in that regard, and by itself is a basically essential upside for potential buyers.
The Shield also has built-in support for one of the best cloud gaming services, GeForce Now, for an additional fee. You’ll need to put in a bit of work to get the most out of your GeForce Now subscription, but it’ll work very well as long as you have a stable internet connection. This device also features genuinely excellent 4K upscaling for low-res and standard HD content, if that’s something you might be interested in.
All these features and more are highlighted by various professional reviewers, although most are as old as the device itself. Luckily, plenty of user reviews and editorials over the years confirm that the Shield TV Pro is still a great choice as a high-end streaming device, years after its release.
