Nvidia shows off next-gen mobile graphics, calls iPad 'vintage 1999'
We're suddenly feeling a bit behind the times
Nvidia has just finished hosting its big investors' event, and the big reveal was its next-generation mobile Kepler GPU chip.
Jen-Hsun Huang, Nvidia's chief exec, demonstrated the generational leap by comparing footage of a current-generation iPad 4 game with some of Battlefield 3 running on the new mobile GPU.
VentureBeat posted a recording of the video presentation, which is a suitably impressive look what smartphones and tablets could soon be capable of, while Huang called current iPad graphical capabilities "vintage 1999".
Nvidia's new Kepler chip will be capable of playing high-end PC games, and we expect to see it appear in the first Tegra 4 device when it appears (with Project Shield likely getting in there first). This means that Kepler Mobile will likely come in Tegra 5, and will give phones and tablets the ability to churn out high-end specs and DirectX 11 graphics when it does.
Kill the competition
"We want to get multiple years ahead of the competition," said Huang. "It was worth the sacrifice." By sacrifices, Huan was referring to how the company delayed other priorities to push Kepler Mobile ahead.
Nvidia also confirmed to investors that its Project Shield gaming device was still on schedule for a Q2 release this year, which is good news for those who have been doubtful Nvidia could deliver in time.
Huang also added that the device was aimed at driving Android gaming to its full potential. He announced that Nvidia had invested $10 million (around £6.5m/AUS$9.5) in Shield, making it significantly less costly compared to other big console launches.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Hugh Langley is the ex-News Editor of TechRadar. He had written for many magazines and websites including Business Insider, The Telegraph, IGN, Gizmodo, Entrepreneur Magazine, WIRED (UK), TrustedReviews, Business Insider Australia, Business Insider India, Business Insider Singapore, Wareable, The Ambient and more.
Hugh is now a correspondent at Business Insider covering Google and Alphabet, and has the unfortunate distinction of accidentally linking the TechRadar homepage to a rival publication.
Amazon teams up with Samsung rival to design and build bespoke next generation tech that will help AWS pull ahead in the hyperscaler race
Funko Pop's AI-powered 'Brand Protection' service temporarily takes down indie gaming site, proving that automation without humans is a mistake
Save up to $460 on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra with this mega trade-in deal