Nvidia, the graphics company, will be launching an Android-based console this coming May. The console will be called ‘Shield,’ and it combines a set top box with a video game console.

Nvidia has claimed to solve the problem of lag, and the company is also boasting the best streaming game graphics available. Here’s what is known about the Shield console so far.

What Shield Will Do

The Shield console will be able to stream both television programs and movies as well as act as a strict gaming console. This will also be the first device on the market to stream in 4k resolution. That fact alone will put Shield ahead of the competition, and will likely dig into both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 market. Since the console will be Android-based, users will be able to directly link Shield to a Google account, and purchases can be made directly from Android store options.

Shield will not come with any discs, which means that games and shows have to be purchased and downloaded directly onto the device (a tactic that other gaming console manufacturers have been playing around with for some time to mixed reviews).

Shield comes with only 20 gigabytes of storage, though, so an external hard drive is likely the best option for storing a lot of content. There is some talk that Nvidia may also be offering download keys for use with Steam (the PC gaming platform), so users will have the flexibility to play through the console or via PC.

High Definition Video Games

Being known largely for graphics card manufacturing, it’s no surprise that Nvidia wants to put most of the emphasis on image when it comes to Shield. The company has told press that video games will be able to be played in high definition, and compares the upcoming video game quality to shows that can be watched currently on Netflix. Nvidia also claims that the new technology will be lag-free, which is something that they have been working on perfecting for a few years now.

Nvidia will be offering two different subscription packages to go along with Shield. The first will allow 720p resolution streaming (30 frames per second), and the second will include 1080p (60 frames per second). When the console launches in May, a few titles will be available including Batman: Arkham Origins, Crysis 3, Last Light Redux, The Talos Principle, and GRID 2, Metro. Additional titles should be announced this week.

Cost and Availability

Right now, there’s no word as to how much those two different subscription packages will cost. It’s expected that Nvidia will be competitive with pricing, since the company is aiming at taking down some of the larger console companies.

More announcements are expected to arrive this week. It will be exciting to see if Nvidia has cracked the code when it comes to better gaming through a console of this type. The console will be available in the US in May, and will expand to other countries later this year.