Last Updated on February 6, 2023
With so many different streaming devices and services available to customers, it can be very difficult to figure out which service is the best. Although there are many contenders for the best streaming service or device, most people know that the Nvidia Shield and the Amazon Fire TV are the two most popular contenders.
While other streaming devices might be interesting to you, none of them can compare to these two options.
Having a streaming device like the Amazon Fire TV or Nvidia Shield is a great way to organize all of the different streaming networks and services that you subscribed to.
Because both of these devices can simplify the streaming process by allowing their customers to view all of their streaming services on one platform, they have revolutionized the streaming device market.
Knowing the differences between the different types of streaming devices, in this case, the Nvidia shield and the Amazon Fire TV is important. You want to buy the device that works best for your budget and needs, and gives you the experience that you are looking for.
In this article, you will receive information about both types of streaming devices, including head-to-head comparisons, the pros and cons of each one, their strength, appearance, and interface.
By the end of this article, you will know exactly which streaming device is right for you, your budget, and your needs!
Contents
Which is better? Quick verdict
Both services have their pros and cons, which we will dive into below. But our quick run down?
- TV and movie lovers – You will love Amazon Fire TV
- Gamers – Go for Nvidia Shield
General Overview Comparison
Nvidia Shield and Amazon Fire TV are both streaming devices that allow users to consolidate all of their streaming services onto one platform, where they can access all of the content they subscribe to from one interface.
The Nvidia Shield TV streaming device was released in 2015, with a second version coming out in 2017. A third edition of the Nvidia Shield TV, called the tube, came out in 2019 and was designed to be a more affordable option.
Nvidia Shield TV comes in two models, the standard model called Shield TV and the Shield TV Pro. While each of these additions and models has slight differences from the other ones, this is not crucial to our comparison with the Amazon Fire TV.
The Nvidia Shield TV is based on the Android TV, and is used to stream all types of digital media content, play games when connected to a personal computer or a shared network, and is programmed with Google Assistant so that users can use voice control to control their TV!
On the other hand, the Amazon Fire TV is a very similar streaming device to the Nvidia Shield TV device. The Amazon Fire TV is used to stream all types of content and media, including video, games, music, and more.
It is programmed with Amazon Alexa, which means you can use voice control to control your TV. You can also connect the Alexa in your Amazon Fire TV to the other Alexa devices in your home to streamline voice control activation.
The Amazon Fire TV was released in 2018, and a second-generation was released in 2019. The Amazon Fire TV is a very popular and well-known streaming device, with thousands of loyal Amazon Fire TV fans.
What is the Difference Between Nvidia Shield and Amazon Fire TV?
The first comparison we will do is to compare some of the popular streaming apps like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu when they are used on the Nvidia Shield TV and the Amazon Fire TV.
For starters, these devices will both support the majority of streaming services that you subscribed to. There are certain exceptions, and it is important to know those exceptions. The Amazon Fire TV cannot support YouTube TV, due to the issues between Amazon and Google.
On the other hand, the Nvidia Shield TV cannot support DirecTV Now for live TV streaming, and only supports Hulu on-demand, not Hulu’s live streaming service called Hulu Live TV.
Beyond these two exceptions, the Nvidia Shield TV and Amazon Fire TV support popular streaming services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney plus, and others.
The Amazon Fire TV does not require the user to have a Prime subscription. There are many movies or shows and music that you need a Prime subscription to unlock, but it is not necessary to have an Amazon Prime subscription to access Amazon Prime Video. It just means that you will only be able to access their free content.
Running Speed and Efficiency
Although both the Nvidia Shield TV and the Amazon Fire TV have very similar appearances and functions, their programming and hardware are very different from each other. This means that one device might be better for certain purposes than another, but there is no clear-cut answer.
The Amazon Fire TV Cube device is run by a CPU called the AmLogic S922X CPU. This CPU is the same type of CPU that powers a variety of android devices like the Beelink GT-King. In general, the CPU is very fast, and faster than several other Amazon streaming devices, like the Amazon Fire Stick.
So out of the Amazon streaming devices, the Amazon Fire TV Cube and the Amazon Fire Stick, the Amazon Fire TV Cube is the faster of the two.
The Nvidia Shield TV is run by a Tegra X1+ CPU which is approximately 25% faster than the original Nvidia Shield TV streaming device.
Storage Capacity
When it comes to storage, pull up the Amazon Fire TV devices and the Nvidia Shield TV devices have limited and minimal storage capacity. The Amazon Fire TV Cube has 2 GB of DDR4 for standard storage. However, since they have a unique operating system, the performance of this memory space is very good.
In addition, the storage capacity of the Amazon Fire TV cube is 16 GB, which is pretty good for a streaming device at this price point. It should be noted that the Amazon Fire TV devices do not allow any external storage additions, so this could become a possible issue for gamers or people who store lots of media on their streaming devices.
The Nvidia Shield TV streaming devices have two models, the standard model, also known as the tube, and the Shield Pro. The standard model Nvidia Shield TV device has 2GB of RAM storage and an additional 8 GB of internal storage. The Shield pro has 3 GB of memory and an additional 16 GB of storage.
The Nvidia Shield devices are compatible with SD cards or external hard drives, which allow the memory bank to be expanded. This allows people who store lots of media on their devices or run lots of games through their devices. They can game and store freely with additional storage that is unavailable from the Amazon Fire TV.
Interface
The interfaces for the Amazon Fire TV and the Nvidia Shield TV devices are fairly simple and easy to understand. Both companies know that they are targeting people with limited knowledge of computers, so everything is user-friendly and easy to navigate.
In addition, both the Amazon Fire TV and the Nvidia Shield TV allow users to customize parts of their home screen to show their favorite apps, creating a streamlined approach to accessing their most-used apps.
The Nvidia Shield, however, is more customizable than the Amazon Fire TV stick when it is used with the Android TV OS. This allows the user to change the menus and the interface to suit their needs or preferences. It also allows them to rearrange the apps in the order in which they appear on the home screen.
On the other hand, Amazon Fire TV devices are a bit more scattered and less catered to the user’s unique preferences. Amazon Fire TV devices focus more on recommending new content based on your previous watch history than letting the users customize the main screen.
This is best for people who like to find new and interesting content easily without spending hours looking around on all the different streaming services.
In addition, Amazon Fire TV devices make it easier to access Amazon Prime content, which is great for people who love Amazon Prime content.
Gaming
When it comes to gaming, the Nvidia Shield TV devices are top-of-the-line and beat out the Amazon Fire TV devices. The Nvidia Shield TV device allows users to stream games from their PC to their TV so that they can play them on the bigger screen.
Nvidia Shield TV also offers free games and has over three hundred and seventy GeForce Now, which is their built-in gaming platform. The games from this platform are purchasable through your play, Google Play, and Steam.
Amazon Fire TV Cube also has free games. However, they can only be played with the Amazon Fire remote. This means that the games available are much simpler unless complex than the games available from the Nvidia Shield TV.
If you are a big gamer, then the Nvidia Shield TV is the one you should get. It is a step above and incomparable to the Amazon Fire TV gaming setup. Additionally, you can attach external storage like SD cards or an external hard drive to the Nvidia Shield TV device to expand storage and increase the number of games on the device.
Cost
Due to the status of these streaming devices as premium devices, both of them can cost a pretty penny. They are by no means cheap, but you get what you are paying for with both of them.
The Nvidia Shield TV device can be purchased for $129.99, which for most people is out of their budget. The Amazon Fire TV Cube cost around $100, with fewer premium streaming devices like the fire stick coming in even cheaper.
If you are looking to save some money, it’s best to go with one of the cheaper options like the fire stick or the Amazon Fire TV Cube. However, if you are purchasing the streaming device for a purpose, such as gaining with the Nvidia Shield TV, then you should spend the extra money to get the best experience.
It is always best to spend a little bit more and invest in a product that is going to serve your needs perfectly and well for a long time than to spend less money on a device that is not exactly what you are looking for or want.
It should be noted, however, that Amazon frequently has sales around holidays or special events. Streaming devices like the Amazon Fire TV Cube and Fire Stick are significantly cheaper than they would normally be.
Voice Control
Both the Amazon Fire TV devices and the Nvidia Shield TV devices come with voice-activated assistants and voice control programs. These are standard on all streaming devices from both companies.
Both of the voice control programs allow the user to control your streaming device and other connected smart devices with voice commands to the device.
The Amazon Fire TV devices are well known for being some of the best voice control devices on the market. In general, the Alexa devices are incredibly popular, and that same programming is in the Amazon Fire TV devices.
Not only does the Alexa program in the Fire TV device work as a normal Alexa, but it can be connected to other Alexa devices in the home, streamlining your ability to control other parts of your house and Technology as well.
Essentially, if you set it up correctly, you can be in your living room and tell your TV remote to brew a cup of coffee, and your smart coffee machine will begin to brew you a pot.
Amazon TV devices all come standard with Alexa, which is very handy for the thousands of people who already have Alexa devices in their homes.
On the Nvidia Shield TV devices, Google Assistant is standard. It allows the user to control YouTube very easily using voice controls to find specific types of music or videos and other content. However, the Google Assistant is not as developed or well-loved as the Alexa devices.
Google Assistant is great for more basic tasks, while the Amazon Alexa in their Fire TV devices is a step above the rest of the competition. If you already have Alexa devices or other Amazon smart technology in your home, you may as well go with the Amazon Fire TV to complete everything.
You can control all different devices from any device once they are all set up properly, resulting in a streamlined and easier Smart Home.
Remotes
The remotes for both the Amazon Fire TV devices and the Nvidia Shield TV devices are extremely similar. They both come working out of the box, allowing users to begin streaming and enjoying content immediately.
The Nvidia Shield TV remote is a long black remote shaped in a triangle, similar to a Toblerone chocolate bar. Because it is shaped in an odd way for a TV remote, it can be a little weird to hold. However, it is not uncomfortable to hold. In addition, most people do not hang on to their TV remotes while they watch TV, so it is not that big of an issue.
The buttons on the Nvidia Shield TV remote light up when the remote is picked up, which is pretty nice to have that feature when watching TV in the dark or at night time. Another cool feature about the Nvidia Shield TV remote is that it has a built-in find my remote feature.
You can activate it from the Nvidia Shield TV app, and then the remote will let out a sound so you can find it from wherever it slipped.
Both of these TV remotes also have voice control options straight from the remote.
On the other hand, the Amazon Fire TV remotes are smaller, designed to be held easier, and very easy to use. If you prefer a more standard remote design that’s a little bit smaller than the Nvidia remote, then you should go with the Amazon Fire TV device. It is simple, slim, and does not have many bells or whistles.
If you lose your TV remote frequently, then definitely odds for the Nvidia Shield TV because of its super cool find my remote feature!
Device Design
All of the design of the device may not seem too important because it will not be what you are using, but it is still pretty important to know what it looks like and how it can factor into the atmosphere of your TV room.
Both the Nvidia Shield TV device and the Amazon Fire TV devices have a sleek, modern, dark look. They both have HDMI 2.0b ports and come with battery-operated wireless TV controllers.
The Amazon Fire TV devices have a variety of shapes and sizes, a stick for the Amazon Fire Stick, and a cube for the Amazon Fire Cube. The Amazon Cube is different from the Fire Stick in that it sits at the top near your TV, and in that way, it is designed to be in full view.
Luckily, with its sleek design, it does not look out of place near TVs or speakers because it blends in seamlessly with the rest of your entertainment devices. The cube also has control buttons on top of it and lights up an LED bar blue when you are using the Alexa function.
The Nvidia Shield Pro device is a very futuristic and unique-looking product. It is shaped like a wedge, which is a homage to the original shape of the Nvidia Shield. The other model of the Nvidia Shield TV, “the tube,” is a long cylinder.
Although the tube is not as attractive as other physical devices, it can be tucked out of sight beyond anyone’s eyes, and no one will even know that it is there. It does not have to be presented out by the rest of your entertainment devices like the Amazon Fire Cube and is more similar to the Amazon Firestick.
Summary
We know that we have given you a lot of information about both the Nvidia Shield TV streaming devices and the Amazon Fire TV streaming devices, so we hope in this section to review and simplify all the information we have already discussed.
The latest versions of both the Nvidia Shield TV Pro and the Amazon Fire TV Cube were released in 2019, which indicates that they have similar features and technologies. Although they are similar in features, they do have different technical abilities.
Nvidia Shield TV devices are better for gaming because they have a quicker processing speed. They can also have external storage added on in the form of an external hard drive or an SD card. Amazon Fire TV products are better for basic streaming and simple gaming. They cannot have an additional hard drive attached.
Nvidia Shield TV comes in at around $129.99, while the Amazon Fire TV Cube costs about a hundred.
The processor on the Nvidia Shield TV device is the Tegra X1+, which is known to run much faster than the S922x processor that the Amazon Fire Cube has. Again, this information is mostly pertinent to gamers.
Most folks using the devices to stream movies will not be able to tell the difference between the processors and the speed at which they process.
Which is Best?
When it comes to picking which streaming device is best, it boils down to what you are getting the device for. If you are getting it to watch movies and shows with family and friends and not much else, then the Amazon Fire TV devices are probably more your style.
On the other hand, if you are an avid gamer, then the Nvidia Shield TV devices are more your style!
As nice as it would be to give a clear winner when it comes to these two powerful streaming devices, it is impossible to pick one over the other!
They are both fantastic streaming devices and offer their users a variety of features and specs that are sure to satisfy. Consider what you need your device for, and then make your decision from there!
