NVIDIA SHIELD Controller Driver Coming With Linux 6.5

[phoronix]

Phoronix: NVIDIA SHIELD Controller Driver Coming With Linux 6.5

Five years after NVIDIA launched their SHIELD "Thunderstrike" gaming controller, they've recently been working on upstreaming support for this controller -- and other possible NVIDIA Shield peripherals -- via a new Linux kernel driver. This new driver is now set to be merged for Linux 6.5...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/NVIDIA-SHIELD-HID-Driver

[timofonic]

Who uses it?

[ezst036]

I'm glad this is not just an independent effort. Good for Nvidia!

[Linuxxx]

Short of NVIDIA preparing to launch a next-generation SHIELD and wanting to build new Linux support off of this driver, it's not clear why they are investing now in this new driver code five years later.

The only possible reason I can think of is the apparent success of their "GeForce NOW" cloud games streaming service.

Having support for their controllers in the Linux kernel will ensure that upcoming Android & Chromebook devices will properly support these OOTB, thus reaching a theoretical customer base of billions of people.

Of course, not that many people have the necessary internet connection stability & speed for cloud gaming in general right now, but companies are always interested in investing into the "next big thing"...

[Danny3]

Nvidia is more and more desperate!
There are trying so much not to look like they are the good guys.

[timofonic]

Nvidia is more and more desperate! There are trying so much not to look like they are the good guys.

Desperate? The AI/ML bubble is making them very rich. https://ceoworld.biz/2023/06/10/the-ai-bubble-is-here/

We are already in the midst of a bubble. Nvidia added $184 billion to its market cap in a single day after the spell-casting incantation “AI” was used an incredible 90 times on the company’s recent earnings call. It was one of the biggest single dollar gains in U.S. market history.

[dlq84]

Who uses it?

Everyone that has an Nvidia shield with the controller, Android is using a Linux kernel, remember?

[skeevy420]

Who uses it?

It's more like "What all uses Linux?" more so than "Who uses a SHIELD controller?". Android (Phone and TV), Chromebooks, Steam devices, in-car infotainment, desktop computers, and more run the Linux kernel which means all those devices get access to using the SHIELD controller. Getting your hardware mainline, regardless of the company or hardware, is a way to get your product working on hundreds of millions of devices with multitudes of use-cases and increases the amount of people willing to buy your hardware. I know that I prefer buying mainlined hardware knowing that it'll work. It's even better when that hardware is maintained by the company instead of an interested 3rd party.

I hate to say this, but I'm kind of liking NVIDIA lately. They're not on the level of AMD or Intel, but they're clearly not the NVIDIA of old. It'll be an interesting next few years to watch to see if they stick with their recent open-source friendliness.