Just last week Nvidia announced a June 27th release date for its $299 Nvidia Shield gaming handheld, but that date didn't last for long. Today, the company informed us that it's discovered a mechanical issue with the Steam-streaming, Android-game playing device, and has delayed the portable's launch until sometime in July while it sorts out the issue. The company wouldn't specify what the problem was, only that there was a mechanical failure with a third-party component of some sort. "We want every Shield to be perfect, so we have elected to shift the launch date to July," reads Nvidia's statement.

While the sudden delay might be disappointing to those who pre-ordered a Shield — and possibly financially annoying for Nvidia to have to recall shipments so close to release — a one-month delay isn't likely to be a big deal. Nvidia may have already preemptively placated consumers with a recent $50 price cut on the handheld, and fixing a mechanical issue before release is probably preferable for all involved.

We actually received a Shield for review before the delay, but we'll be holding our judgment until we can test the final unit. While you wait, you can check out our hands-on preview from last month.