New NVIDIA Shield TV passes by FCC, but what else do we know?

We’ve seen several rumors related to a new NVIDIA Shield TV, and now the refreshed machine has passed through the FCC website. The filing doesn’t say much about the device though, save for the P3430 model number and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connectivity.

Previous rumors note the existence of a tweaked Tegra X1 chipset, and this is a likely candidate for the new device. In fact, several websites report that the new FCC filing lists an updated processor, although we haven’t been able to find these references.

The current models use a Tegra X1 processor built on a 20nm process, but a tweaked SoC would likely offer a smaller manufacturing process. A smaller chipset should result in less heat and better sustained performance in a new NVIDIA Shield TV.

Evidence for the tweaked chipset also comes via an updated Nintendo Switch FCC filing earlier this month. In the listing, Nintendo notes that it’s offering a Switch with an updated processor and tweaked storage.

It’s a little disappointing that the Tegra X1 would still be used for the NVIDIA Shield TV though, as the chipset’s Cortex-A57 CPU cores date back to 2015. Arm has announced at least five major Cortex CPU cores since then, with four already available in commercial devices (Cortex-A72, Cortex-A73, Cortex-A75, Cortex-A76). So don’t expect a major performance leap from the new streaming box compared to previous models.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard about a refreshed machine though, as the device was also leaked via Google. The new model surfaced on the Google Play Developer Console Device Catalog last month.

Nevertheless, NVIDIA’s Shield TV is considered one of the greatest streaming devices around. And with a steady stream of updates and exclusive games, we’re still excited to get our hands on a refreshed model.

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