By Jon Fingas
Publication Date: 2026-10-24 16:45:00
I drew flak for saying the Apple TV 4K fills the shoes of Nvidia’s Shield TV, and not without some merit. If you love Android or simply prefer the Shield’s flexibility, no amount of apps or hardware brawn will make you switch. It’s a good media streaming device—its age and the modern app landscape just work against it.
However, a lot has happened since then. Nvidia has not only raised the price of the Shield TV Pro but is also facing a newly upgraded (if much more expensive than before) Apple TV 4K. That does change the math, but I still can’t tell people to buy the Shield. The capability gap is widening, with some areas where Apple’s box is unambiguously superior.
An outdated AI assistant and voice control
Apple has pushed ahead
It’s long been easy to recommend the Shield TV Pro over an Apple TV device if you want good voice control. Google Assistant has long had the edge over Apple’s Siri with better general knowledge and command context.
Now the roles are reversed. While Siri AI can be slow and is technically influenced by Google…
