When comparing Shield Tablet K1 vs Nintendo Switch, the Slant community recommends Nintendo Switch for most people. In the question“What are the best portable game consoles?” Nintendo Switch is ranked 1st while Shield Tablet K1 is ranked 17th. The most important reason people chose Nintendo Switch is:
You can use it as a stationary console with your TV (using the included dock), or transform it into a portable gaming device in literally seconds. You will keep all the data and can continue your game on the go. The JoyCon controllers can clip into the sides for a tablet-like experience, or you can remove them and use them wirelessly.
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Pros
Pro Good deal
$200 for one of the best Android gaming tablets out there makes for a cheap option for a device with a high end GPU.
Pro Powerful portable graphics
Graphics close to last-gen consoles using the Tegra K1 GPU. There are ports of current AA games such as Borderlands 2 as well as Portal. These are high quality games that run well on the device due to the powerful GPU.
Pro HDMI output
Has a mini-HDMI port so you can connect it to your TV or monitor. This allows one to play games on a larger screen while powering them with the tablet, much like a console.
Pro Very flexible
You can use it as a stationary console with your TV (using the included dock), or transform it into a portable gaming device in literally seconds. You will keep all the data and can continue your game on the go. The JoyCon controllers can clip into the sides for a tablet-like experience, or you can remove them and use them wirelessly.
Pro Comfortable to hold
Nitendo Switch is light and feels comfortable in hand. It doesn't cause any wrist strain. It also has a kickstand that folds out from the back of the console, so you can put it on the table.
Pro Nice gaming experience
Pro It has great graphics and controllers and games
Cons
Con No physical controls built in
Need to get a controller or use touchscreen controls. While the old model used to come with a stylus that has been removed on the new device. There is also a game controller made by Nvidia that works specifically with this tablet but it is an extra cost since it does not come with it.
Con Game selection
A few Shield exclusives, but mostly mobile games, which mainly work with touch controls rather than a gamepad.
Con Not great battery life
Maybe 3 hours of gaming battery life, or about 10 hours of web browsing. For what is a gaming centric device the screen time while gaming is quite low.
Con Game prices are higher than for other systems most of the time, for a lesser quality
Con Poor battery life
If you're playing for example Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you can expect 3.5 hours of gaming before you have to charge the console. Many other portable consoles last longer.
Con Doesn't have a wide variety of popular games yet
If you are not into playing Zelda, there's not that much for you to do with this console right now. The game lineup is not comparable to Xbox One or PS4. The console is not backwards compatible, so you will not be able to play your old games on it either.
Con Problems with screen glare
It's difficult to play with a lot of light falling on the screen due to glare issues. For example, you probably will not be able to play outside in the sun, since the game is simply not visible.