Nvidia has done a good job of supporting its Shield set-top TV box with software updates, but it"s been a couple of years since the hardware has been refreshed. The current model was released in 2017, but it looks like it"s set to receive a successor soon, according to a now-deleted Amazon listing (via 9to5Google). According to the listing, it will be called the Shield TV Pro, which shouldn"t be confused with the existing Shield TV Pro, a variant of the current model that comes with a 500GB HDD and a Shield controller.
Regarding the TV box itself, there doesn"t seem to be a ton of changes, with the same two USB ports, Ethernet port, and an HDMI port to connect to a TV. The processor will be upgraded though, with an Nvidia Tegra X1+, which is promised to be 25% faster than the original X1 on the previous Shield, and it"ll support Dolby Vision HDR. It still comes with 16GB of internal storage and 3GB of RAM.
The biggest changes are to the remote, which is no longer going to be a thin slab, but instead it will use an intriguing triangular prism design. The new controller also has a microphone button to use the Google Assistant, as well as one button just to open Netflix. There also seems to be a new feature to help find the remote.
Prior to being deleted, the listing suggested the Shield TV Pro would be released on October 28, so we may not have long to wait for Nvidia to make an official announcement. It costs $199, which is $20 more than the current model. It"s also worth noting that the current model is sold out on Nvidia"s website, which may have to do with the upcoming launch.