Is The Nvidia Shield TV Pro Still Worth Buying In 2026?

There is no shortage of streaming devices on the market in 2026. Companies like Apple, Google, Roku, and Amazon are some of the most recognizable names in streaming entertainment, and products like the Apple TV 4K, Google TV Streamer, and Roku Ultra are tough to beat. But before these premium streamers came along, there was the all-powerful Nvidia Shield TV Pro. The latest version of the device hit the market in 2019 and can still be purchased brand-new. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, the Shield TV Pro is out of stock at most retailers, but it hasn't been officially discontinued. The same goes for the base $150 Nvidia Shield TV.

If you're wondering whether it's worth it to invest in a Shield TV Pro (if you can manage to get your hands on one), the answer really boils down to what kinds of features you're looking for from a premium streamer. To this day, the Shield TV Pro is still the only streaming device that can natively host a Plex server. As long as the device is powered on and connected to the internet, you can use the Plex client app on a phone, tablet, or other smart TV device to access a wide range of local media files.

Competitive products like the Apple TV 4K may offer more internal storage (64 GB on the latest base model, compared to 16 GB on the Shield TV Pro). However, the Shield TV Pro features two USB 3.0 ports, allowing you to connect a USB flash drive or external SSD or HDD for additional storage. If hosting your own local content archive is one of your top priorities, the Shield TV Pro is definitely still worth purchasing.

Another strong argument for the Shield TV Pro is the device's gaming capabilities. Even though its onboard Nvidia Tegra X1+ processor is relatively old at this point, it's the same CPU that powered the original Nintendo Switch, as well as the Switch OLED and Switch Lite (the Switch 2 uses the newer Tegra T239 chip). This makes the Shield TV Pro perfect for services like Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass; you can even pair a wireless controller via Bluetooth.

The Shield TV Pro is compatible with both Alexa and Google Home, and it isn't too far behind the times with audio-video either. While it's limited to HDMI 2.0b — with max transfer speeds of 18 Gbps and 4K passthrough up to 60 Hz — the older standard is perfectly sufficient for most AV setups. The Shield TV Pro also offers AI-assisted 4K upscaling, which bodes well for those of us with premium 4K TV screens. One of the only things missing is HDR10+ support, which really isn't a dealbreaker if you ask us.

Since it runs Android TV — the same operating system at the core of the new Google TV Streamer — Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and numerous other streaming apps are available for the Shield TV Pro as well. We totally understand why the average person wouldn't want to drop $200 or more on a new streaming device, especially one that's nearing the end of its first decade (though the Nvidia Shield is the most-updated Android device in history, after all). But the average user may also be more concerned with price, and dropping $30-$40 on hardware like the Amazon Fire TV Stick is an easier pill to swallow than $200 for the Shield TV Pro.