Nvidia is continuing to improve the capabilities of their Shield handheld gaming console, today releasing the new December Software Update that enhances the device's 'Console Mode', which streams games from your PC to a TV. Previously the Shield was only capable of streaming PC games at 720p in Console Mode, but improvements to Nvidia's Gamestream technology in the update has enabled 1080p streaming.
Like with 720p streaming, only certain PC titles are 1080p streaming compatible. The Nvidia Shield website lists 23 games that can be streamed in 1080p (or 720p), including popular ones such as Battlefield 4, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. A futher 39 games are available for streaming in just 720p, bringing the overall total to 62 streamable games, and more are being added each week.
The December Software Update also improves the Shield's Gamepad Mapper, which allows you to map any game function or control to the physical buttons on the Shield's gamepad. Previously the Gamepad Mapper only allowed you to map touchscreen controls to physical buttons, but today's update allows you to map motion controls - such as tilting the device in a racing game - to a physical control like the analog sticks.
Nvidia launched the Shield in June as an Android-powered handheld console with a Tegra 4 SoC inside and a 5-inch 720p display attached to a "console-grade" controller. It can play Android games found in the Play Store, stream PC games from your Nvidia-powered desktop, or act as the middle man in streaming games from your PC to your TV.