Promised two weeks ago and delivered today, Nvidia's big April software update for Shield is highlighted by the introduction of remote game streaming. Until now, the Android-powered handheld was capable of playing graphically intensive games that were being processed by and streamed out of your home PC, but it required that both devices be on the same network. Though still in beta as of now, the remote version of Nvidia's GameStream offers to do the same wherever you are, provided there's a fast enough internet connection. What's more, Nvidia is enabling GameStream from laptops as well, with its latest graphics chips being supported.

Android gaming consoles have interested device makers for a while now, but none of the attempts so far has proven a success. The Shield remains in that category, but with a lower $199 price through April, an update to Android 4.4, and a continually expanding library of supported games, Nvidia is giving it every chance to reverse the trend. Certainly, now that playing your PC games on the Shield has become something you can do via the cloud, the portable console looks like a much more enticing proposition.