Due to a component issue found during their QA process, SHIELD’s launch has been scrubbed for now.
NVIDIA’s SHIELD gaming handheld is one of the most talk-about products being released this year but it has experienced a fair share of teething problems since its introduction. There were a few technical hiccups at the CES launch event and a general outcry when its $349 price was announced. Now, word has reached us that tomorrow’s launch has been pushed back as well.
According to a statement released by NVIDIA, some problems were found during their final QA checks:
“During our final QA process, we discovered a mechanical issue that relates to a 3rd party component. We want every SHIELD to be perfect, so we have elected to shift the launch date to July. We’ll update you as soon as we have an exact date.”
This means pre-orders won’t be shipping and any units already in the channel have likely been recalled.
So when will launch actually happen in July? We’re not sure and neither is NVIDIA right now but hopefully the coming weeks will see the SHIELD team hard at work polishing its software and Android / PC integration features.
Until we can publish our full review, our hands-on preview of SHIELD’s final retail hardware can be found here.
