Nvidia raises Shield TV Pro price by $100 amid memory shortage
Nvidia has raised the price of its Shield TV Pro streaming box by $100, from $199.99 to $299.99, citing higher component costs linked to a memory shortage. The increase, which took effect on 2 October, makes the nearly seven-year-old device substantially more expensive for buyers.
Nvidia has also stopped producing the standard Shield TV, which launched at $149.99, leaving the Pro as its only model. The Pro has a Tegra X1+ processor, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage; the discontinued standard version had 2GB and 8GB. Cheaper alternatives include Google’s $149 TV Streamer, while strong demand for Nvidia’s GPUs and AI chips has contributed to pressure on component prices.
- Shield TV Pro now costs $299.99, up by $100.
- Nvidia has stopped making the cheaper standard Shield TV.
- The price rise reflects higher component costs amid a memory shortage.
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Shield TV is a streaming device made by Nvidia that connects to televisions to play films, shows and games through internet services. It competes with cheaper alternatives from companies like Google and Amazon.
Nvidia is primarily known for making computer chips, particularly graphics chips and artificial intelligence chips. Demand for these chips is currently very high, which has increased the cost and reduced the availability of electronic components used in many products, including its streaming devices.
When the cost of making a product rises significantly, companies typically increase prices for consumers. In competitive markets with cheaper alternatives available, price changes can affect customer choices about which brand to buy from.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Nvidia faces genuine cost pressures from memory shortages that have driven up component prices across the industry, making the price increase a rational response to changed manufacturing economics rather than opportunism. The Shield TV Pro remains a capable device with premium features, consumers retain the choice to purchase at the new price or select cheaper alternatives like Google's TV Streamer, and maintaining sustainable margins on aging products is a legitimate business necessity.
The case against
A $100 price increase on a nearly seven-year-old device with no significant updates represents poor value and appears to exploit supply chain disruptions rather than adapt to them. Discontinuing the standard model simultaneously removes consumer choice and forces customers choosing within the Shield ecosystem into a 50 per cent price jump, behaviour that contradicts healthy market competition and customer-first principles.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Nvidia’s Shield TV Pro just got a $100 price hike”.