With the E3 2013 drawing ever nearer and mere hours ticking away before Microsoft finally pulls down the curtains for its next-generation Xbox 720/Infinity/Durango console, the headlines all seem to point to a domination of consoles.

However, in a twist that not a lot were expecting, Nvidia has created its own noise, starting with the surprise early pre-orders for the Nvidia's SHIELD.

Previously pegged to open for pre-orders on May 20, the company shifted the date up, making the pre-orders available as early as May 17 last week, with the handheld gaming device being offered at $349, reports Digital Trends.

The report also states that there are two ways to order--either via online through Nvidia's website or through the retailers carrying the gaming gadget, so you can choose from GameStop, Newegg, and Canada Computer.

Touted for success as a handheld gaming device?

Despite the lagging sales for Nintendo's 3DS, supposedly a painful but predicted trend for handheld consoles today, it seems that Nvidia's SHIELD is ready to prove to any takers that it stands apart from what gamers already know about handheld gaming.

"Shield is different [from 3DS, PS Vita]--it's part of an ecosystem, it's part of the Android ecosystem," said Igor Stanek, head of Nvidia EMEA Tegra PR, to TechRadar. "It's not just the device itself but the ecosystem which it exists."

Considering the fast improvement of the Android and its steady rise to equally compete against Apple's iOS, this seems to be the key factor that gives the Nvidia both the confidence and the foundation for its expected success.

"The majority of games are now released at the same time for iOS and Android or with very little delay," said Stanek to TechRadar. "The install base on Android is so huge it wouldn't be clever from the developer's side to not support it."

This means that gamers can expect more from the Nvidia SHIELD, though it is on the lookout with regard to the reception in its two target areas, the US and Canada.

The Nvidia hardware

The specs alone can also stand up for the Nvidia SHIELD device. To start off, it already contains the Android Jelly Bean 4.2.1 and is firmware upgradable, staying in line with its competition.

It also boasts of the main component, Nvidia's Tegra 4 mobile processor, packing in 72 GPU cores, a quad-core CPU, and 2 GB of RAM for optimal gaming, reports Forbes. You'll be playing on the 5-inch retinal multitouch display screen, while enjoying the game in its full glory with the sleeper hit feature, the speakers.

It doesn't end there, with the controller being optimally designed for the hardcore gamer, to the point that ergonomics coupled with the right amount of responsiveness to deal the SHIELD controller with a great hand.

The report also adds that other features include up to 64 GB of microSD support, 16 GB of storage, and other connectivity options such as the mini-HDMI, micro-USB, and Bluetooth.

The battery is also not something you should ignore, as SHIELD boasts a 28.8 Wh battery to give you four to five hours of non-stop gaming. Forbes adds that aside from this, 10 to 12 hours of streaming PC games to SHIELD would be a piece of cake.

If you are one of those who have opted to pre-order the Nvidia SHIELD, or if you are planning to pre-order the device, you can expect your console to start shipping as early as June.

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