Google’s Material Design Invades NVIDIA SHIELD Hub

NVIDIA began rolling out its Android 5.0 Lollipop update (check out our hands-on look here) for its SHIELD Tablet in late November. Today, the company is updating its SHIELD Hub to better adhere to the “Material Design” aesthetic that is prevalent throughout Lollipop.

The SHIELD Hub 4.0 refresh reflects “Material Design language with subtle animations, layers, and updated iconography.” In addition the visual overhaul, NVIDIA has also paid close attention to usability by improving the layout to show more games at once and minimize tedious scrolling.

There have also been improvements made to GameStream’s console mode — support for 1080p/60fps over Wi-Fi has been added (that is, if you have a 5GHz 802.11ac network). Gamers will also find that Internet connection quality with GRID has been improved.

SHIELD Tablets users should be aware that NVIDIA recommends that you make sure to download GeForce Experience 2.1.5 to ensure the stable operation of SHIELD HUB 4.0. The 2.1.5 release brings the ability to join the GeForce Experience beta program and brings a number of bugfixes and performance enhancements.

If you don’t already own a SHIELD Tablet (or simply wouldn’t mind having another), be sure to check out our Holiday Giveaway for your chance to score one of three 32GB LTE/Wi-Fi SHIELD Tablets that come complete with a wireless controller and device cover.