NVIDIA Shield TV (2017) Nougat update arrives, adds Amazon Video support (Update: original model too!)

Update (1/26): Unfortunately the Nougat update originally appeared to apply only to the 2017 version of the NVIDIA Shield. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. Today the update has started rolling out for owners of the older model as well. More details can be found here. 

The recently launched NVIDIA Shield TV (2017) has been updated to Android Nougat and with it arrives a host of improvements. The Shield Experience upgrade 5.0 has been detailed on the NVIDIA website and introduces Amazon Video support, a new games app, better GeForce Now performance and more.

The Amazon Video integration, which relies on a separate Amazon Prime subscription, allows users to watch Amazon’s TV shows and Movies in up to 4K quality, while the new games app is the place to find and play GeForce NOW games, Android games, and NVIDIA GameStream games. This replaces the former Shield Hub app and its home screen tiles so that the games that you install or play now will appear in the games row on the home screen. NVIDIA says this part of the 5.0 update will occur in a staged rollout over the next few weeks.

As for performance, NVIDIA states that you can play on-demand PC games with performance up GeForce GTX 1080-standard graphics in the cloud thanks to the 5.0 update, and GameStream has been upgraded to provide 4K HDR, as well as smoother, lower-latency streaming.

Here’s a list of other improvements from NVIDIA:

• Recent apps page (double-press the home button to quickly access recent apps)
• Picture-in-picture support (in supported apps like Live Channels)
• New settings menu
• Added Pause/Play button functionality on the SHIELD remote by double-tapping on the volume slider
• Added ability to write to attached USB or SD card storage
• Added 4.1, 6.1, and 8.1 speaker configurations for Plex
• Enabled cast for HBO GO

Finally, NVIDIA has rolled out new apps and games, as well as support for Nest, to offer live video streams from your Nest Cams.

The update is rolling out from today but may not hit all systems immediately. For a hands-on look at the new Shield TV unveiled at CES 2017, hit the link.