A year on from releasing its first Android tablet geared mainly for gaming, Nvidia has followed up the Shield Tablet with the Shield Tablet K1.

The main difference between the two is price, with the newer model almost £100 cheaper. So we pop them head to head to see exactly what has changed in the last 12 months and whether or not you should consider upgrading if you already own the original.

And how has the company managed to make such a saving on what looks to be a similar device? Read on...

Design

If you were to have both of the tablets lined up in front of you, you'd still struggle to see the differences in look at first glance.

Both tablets are identical in shape, size, weight and depth. They each measure 221 x 126 x 9.2mm and weigh 390g. They feel identical in the hand too.

There are a couple of small differences, however. The Shield Tablet K1 has rubberised speaker grilles either side of the screen, which the original's are solid plastic. We suspect that this is to provide better grip during gaming on the newer version.

The Shield logo on the rear of the new model is also silver rather than gloss black. And there is no DirectStylus 2 this time, so the slot for that accessory is missing.

READ: Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 review: Cost-effective gaming tablet

Processor and graphics

Both the Shield Tablet K1 and original Shield Tablet have identical processors and GPUs. They each run on a 2.2GHz ARM Cortex A15 quad-core processor and have Nvidia Tegra K1 192-core Kepler graphics chips.

Storage

While last year's Shield Tablet was offered in 16GB Wi-Fi only and 32GB with LTE (4G) models, the latter has been scrapped. The Shield Tablet K1 is just available as a 16GB device.

Both offer microSD card slots for expansion.

Screen

The display used for both versions is the same; a Full HD 1920 x 1200 8-inch LCD screen. 

Cameras

Both models have 5-megapixel front and rear cameras, with HDR on each. The rear camera also features autofocus.

Extras

To cut costs, the Shield Tablet K1 no longer comes with the DirectStylus 2 active pen that neatly slotted into the back of the original Shield Tablet.

in addition, you do not get a charger or - more oddly - USB cable with the K1. You'll have to buy or provide your own. Neither version came with the optional Nvidia game controller or protective cover - they are both sold separately.

Price

This is the main difference between the two devices which, in all intents and purposes, work very similarly.

By trimming certain extras and with the benefit of technology moving on and becoming cheaper in time, the new Nvidia Shield Tablet K1 is approximately £80 cheaper than the original. It is available for £150

Conclusion

There's no doubt that the new Shield Tablet is a fine device, even in today's market against its peers. It might feature processing and graphics specifications that are now a year old, but holds its own capably for the money.

Nvidia hasn't really improved the concept in 12 months, but it has provided better value for money and £150 seems reasonable for a device so keenly geared towards the gaming community.