The landscape of handheld PC gaming might be getting a new competitor as there’s a buzz that NVIDIA could potentially step into the arena with a product that could rival the likes of Valve’s Steam Deck and others from GPD or Ayaneo. If you remember, NVIDIA has already dipped its toes into the handheld realm with the SHIELD Portable, an Android-based device that could play Android games and access GeForce NOW’s early services.
Since the release of the SHIELD Portable, NVIDIA hasn’t ventured back into handheld gaming, choosing instead to concentrate on its primary GPU business and burgeoning AI industry, sectors that have massively contributed to NVIDIA’s growth as a company valued at around $2 trillion.
The intriguing part of this news is that the potential handheld gaming PC from NVIDIA would signify the company’s pivot to utilizing its own GPU technologies for such devices, challenging the current AMD-dominated space.
An NVIDIA Handheld Gaming PC Could Feature Proprietary GPU Tech
The entry of more players into the handheld gaming PC market is a boon for both technology enthusiasts and the industry at large. An NVIDIA inclusion is particularly tantalizing considering the prospects of having a device with NVIDIA’s proprietary GPU technology embedded.
Recent discussions, amplified by a video from a popular tech YouTube channel and echoed by TechRadar, suggest that NVIDIA isn’t too pleased about AMD’s grip on the handheld gaming PC market and is keen not to miss out on this increasingly lucrative segment.
NVIDIA’s Planned Handheld May Result from a Collaboration
NVIDIA’s approach to creating this new device seems to be a collaborative one; unlike the SHIELD, which was an in-house venture, there are indications that NVIDIA intends to partner with another entity to bring this premium gaming handheld to fruition. This strategy mirrors AMD’s approach of working with brands such as Valve to produce devices using custom AMD hardware.
The upcoming handheld is hinted to be a “premium” offering – possibly featuring higher specifications and a more upscale design compared to existing devices on the market. One of the most exciting prospects of an NVIDIA handheld gaming PC would be the potential inclusion of proprietary technologies such as NVIDIA’s DLSS. However, as stated, the actual creation of such a device might be “years from now.”
