Time To Grab Some Friends As Nvidia GRID Adds Multi-Controller Support

A pretty critical update to the Nvidia GRID platform, multi-controller support allows for much more satisfying couch-based gaming with friends.

Nvidia’s SHIELD Console is due for release next month, and in the meantime the jolly green tech giants are layering on more SHIELD and GRID platform features to add depth and value to your experience with these platforms. The latest, announced yesterday amongst the flurry of April Fools gags us poor tech writers have to brave, is multi-controller support for Nvidia GRID – pretty much a must for local multiplayer of any streamed title.

A quick refresher – GRID is Nvidia’s game streaming service specifically for SHIELD platform devices. Rather than installing and running games locally on devices which – though as powerful as any in their class – may not quite be up to the rigors of high-end modern titles, GRID utilises remote servers running GeForce GPU technology and relays the gameplay content as a 1080p video stream. Proprietary technology allows Nvidia to keep latency low, a must for any interactive streaming service, as well as transmit user input (via controller or otherwise) to these servers; it’s this user input which is getting more fully-featured with this update.

Ten of the current 44 GRID titles currently support multi-controller input:

· Ultra Street Fighter 4*

· Street Fighter X Tekken*

· GRID 2

· Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams

· All LEGO titles (Batman, Marvel, Harry Potter, Hobbit & Lord of the Rings)

· PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate

· PixelJunk Shooter

*Supports up to four players

Multi-controller input will be a must for the SHIELD Console, a set-top device built using the technology within the Tegra X1 chipset that includes some of the GPU architecture as the class-leading Nvidia GeForce 900-series desktop graphics. Portable gaming is a fundamentally different experience to that of gaming exclusively in the livingroom, and local multiplayer is essential from the get-go.

In addition to the update, part of the SHIELD Hub app (version 4.2.19442273), Nvidia are also rolling out new games to the GRID service surprisingly often. Just the latest is Dead Rising 2 (released yesterday), whilst Devil May Cry 4 and Risen 4 are on the cards in the next couple of weeks. Nvidia have set up the Twitter hashtag #SHIELDTuesday to keep you up to date with all the latest happenings.

Nvidia GRID remains free to SHIELD device owners in North America, most of Western Europe and the Asia-Pacific region until June 30th, 2015. For more information on it and other graphics technology solutions visit Nvidia.com.