The NVIDIA SHIELD TV has been stuck on Android 11 forever now, but that might be about to change as the Android TV 14 beta is suspected to be hitting the streamer. The last update that landed for this device was back in October as version number v33.2.0.252, and this was still based on Android 11. It mostly introduced a bunch of stability and bug fixes. It also added an enhancement for the Match Frame Rate (beta) feature. For the most part, though, there weren't any new features.
In short, the NVIDIA SHIELD TV has remained in what feels like limbo. This being the case, users have wondered if it would ever get an update that would be based on a newer version of Android. That could be happening in the near future. It's tough to tell at the moment, but things may be looking up for people who still use the NVIDIA SHIELD TV as their main streamer device.
While NVIDIA itself hasn't confirmed Android TV 14 is coming to the SHIELD TV, a post on Reddit suggests that NVIDIA will be beta testing the software in the near future.
According to user u/Nintendians559, the company is already beta testing the software or will be soon. At least, that's what they think this update to the NVIDIA SHIELD Beta app is pointing to. As some users in the comments point out, Google has updated its guidelines requiring all apps submitted to the Play Store to target Android 14. This requirement would need to be met by August 31, 2024. So for the past several months, developers have needed to make sure their app meets this requirement.
If it was already available on the Play Store, then their app would need to be updated. That being said, some users are suggesting not to read too much into this as the update may not be coming at all. It is worth noting though that u/Nintendians559 has provided several images of the beta app update. The update to the NVIDIA SHIELD Beta app was pushed on December 15. So the update for that app is new.
Another point to keep in mind is NVIDIA's own description of the update. It strictly states that the app was updated to target Android 14 to comply with Google's requirements. Does this mean the NVIDIA SHIELD TV is getting Android 14? No. Does it mean that it won't get it? Also no.
If, and that's a big if for now, Android 14 is being beta tested, all users may benefit. According to the original poster, NVIDIA is doing the beta test for all models of the SHIELD TV. So that would mean no matter if you have the first model or the latest, you should get to participate and check out the software.
Again, though, it seems just as likely that this update is only meant to comply with Google's requirements. It's possible that NVIDIA is doing this to prep for Android 14, but that's unclear at the moment. In this case, it's probably best to follow the advice of not reading too much into it.