Shield Pro 50 per cent price increase is outrageous, given Nvidia’s key role in RAMageddon: A Practical Look

Nvidia has increased the price of the Nvidia Shield TV Pro by $100 – despite the Android-based media streamer being released all the way back in 2019.

Farcically, from today, the Nvidia Shield Pro now costs 50% more than its original price tag. The starting price was $200. It is now $300. The cheaper non-Pro model was $150 and that has now been discontinued. So, you’re now paying double that if you want to get a Shield TV streamer now.

Why is it so expensive compared to every other media streamer on the market? Well, the Tegra X1+ processor packs plenty of power, along with a 256-core GPU backed by 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It offers AI upscaling to 4K and support for 4K 60fps gaming via Nvidia’s GeForce Now. That 3GB/16GB of memory isn’t exactly a lot, but the price of obtaining both is skyrocketing. Hence the new price increase.

“Starting October 2, Shield Pro will be priced at $299. The cost of components, including memory, has increased substantially across the industry,” a company spokesperson told Ars Technica.

For some manufacturers it’s possible to have a little sympathy over the price increases. Components are costing more because supply cannot meet demand. That’s because of the rush to acquire them to build out AI capacity.

Nvidia is one of the global leaders in this space – especially given the increasing reliance on AI tools for its gaming GPUs. So Nvidia causes the storage and RAM crisis and then charges you more for the privilege of buying its devices. Nice one lads.

We’re seeing more and more existing products get price hikes. All three of the major games console manufacturers – Sony, Nintendo and Xbox – increased prices, while in the mobile space Apple and Samsung have also pushed the prices up in recent months. Where does it end?