While the Shield system from Nvidia was a pretty exciting idea for gamers to begin with—a highly portable gaming system that resembled an Xbox 360 controller but came complete with a small display for mobile gaming—the number of titles on hand that actually worked with the device may not have been quite so exciting. A new update for the Nvidia Shield, though, has put some real punch into the portable gaming system's power, brining a host of new games to the device.

The update in question brings in support for what is described as “thousands” of Android (News - Alert) games, specifically those games that were originally intended to run on touchscreen devices, with the new Gamepad Mapper system. Additionally, the update introduces Android 4.3—or “Jelly Bean” for those who favor the sweet subtitle—to the device, as well as a set of other new features.

Among the new features is the newly-minted Console Mode, which gives Shield the ability to take advantage of larger displays (particularly in concert with the GameStream system) by streaming games from a PC to the display while keeping the resulting output at 720p. Users will need to connect the Shield to the display via an HDMI connection, and pair the Shield with a separate Bluetooth controller, but once that's done, it's like having a console that can be disconnected and easily moved around. Those who like using a device for video access, meanwhile, will be able to get in on that action by using the Shield to not just play games, but also browse the Web and even watch movies in full 1080p.

Those interested can pick up an Nvidia Shield for $299.99, and there's certainly a case for it. Recently much has been made of the Ouya system and its ability to offer a console gaming-style experience using Android games as its fodder. But with the Nvidia Shield, at least on the surface, it's roughly akin to having a portable Ouya that can also be used at home on larger displays, and that gives the Shield a bit more versatility in the field. Of course, given that the Ouya costs a mere third of what the Shield does at $99.99, it's a safe bet that the Ouya's market won't run out to the Shield, at least, not entirely.

But with Android gaming starting to catch on, and more platforms being made available to take advantage of that growth, we may well be looking at a new and unusual part of the console wars taking shape here. Whether the Android consoles will ever be able to play in the same ballpark as the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 remains to be seen, but it's quite clear that it won't be a two—well, three, really, once the Wii U gets involved—horse race any more.