NVIDIA in a recent blog post announced the big price-drop of its upcoming Shield portable gaming system, from $349 to $299. This is the best price cut yet, as the company joined the Microsoft Corp. this week in making a significant change between the original unveiling of a new videogame device, and the launch, in order to make it more attractive to consumers.

The new price comes from NVIDIA listening to gamers who want the device, but are not interested in spending like other android device owners. While games for the Vita or 3DS cost between $30 and $40, Android games for the NVIDIA Shield cost just a few dollars. NVIDIA Shield can play any game from the Google Play Store, TegraZone, or any other app store users may want to install on the device.

The console, which will be available on June 27, is powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 4 chip, and features a five-inch, high-definition multi touch display, speakers, Wi-Fi and the Jelly Bean version of Android.

"We've heard from thousands of gamers that if the price was $299, we'd have a home run," said Jason Paul, product line manager of GeForce GPUs, in a blog post Thursday.

The gaming system stage is becoming increasingly crowded. Sony and Microsoft are gearing up to release their next-gen consoles later this year, while smaller, Android-based gaming options from the likes of Ouya, PlayJam, and GamePop are on the way, and Windows-based Razer Edge Pro is already on store shelves.

Software-wise, the Shield will ship with an un-skinned, "pure" version of Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, and as such it should be able to receive any updates Google might release in the future without much delay.

In addition to running Android games, the Shield can also stream games from your GeForce-equipped PC to the controller via Wi-Fi, where you can play them directly on the small screen or output to a TV. Paired with Steam's Big Screen mode, this means you can navigate your library and launch games without moving back to your PC.

Those who pre-ordered the Shield prior to the price update will also be adjusted to the new, lower price.