Nvidia is bringing Google Assistant to your TV

LAS VEGAS -- Google Assistant is about to get a new platform: TVs.

Nvidia's new Shield set-top box will ship with Google Assistant built in, Nvidia announced Wednesday. The company is also making a separate microphone, called the Nvidia Spot, so you can interact with the Assistant outside your living room.

The $199 Android-based Shield TV is 4K-ready and will be available beginning later this month in the U.S., Canada and "select" regions in Europe. Unlike other streaming devices like Amazon Fire TV or Roku, which have limited gaming abilities, Nvidia’s Shield TV is designed for gamers and is compatible with thousands of games.

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The box marks the first time Google Assistant will work with televisions. As with Google Home, users can interact with the Assistant on the Shield TV via voice commands. This feature will be available when Google rolls out Android TV support for Assistant “in the coming months,” according to the company.

But its use isn't limited to when you're sitting on the couch in front of the TV. Nvidia has also made a small microphone called the Nvidia Spot, which connects to the Shield TV and allows people to interact with Google Assistant throughout their house.

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Similar to Amazon's Echo line, the Spot microphones use voice recognition to respond to voice commands. The addition of the Spot microphones turn the Shield TV into more of a smart home device than just a set-top box, as you'll be able to control connected devices and other apps that connect to Google Assistant.

The Spot microphones will cost $49.99 each when they become available later this year.

Nvidia also plans to release a Pro version of the Shield, which will ship with a remote, 500 GB of onboard storage and a Spot microphone.