The Nvidia Shield tablet runs on Real OpenGL drivers and Nexus 9 runs on OpenGL ES, thats why some Gaming titles only runS Nvidia Shield tablet and Console..
A Dude asking about Trine2 for Non-Nvidia device and gets this Answer from the game developer Frozen Byte:
"Tegra has OpenGL support while Android normally offers just OpenGL ES. Also, it wasn't exactly easy to get T2 running on Tegra. Something that has only about 65 % of Tegra's GPU performance would either take a lot more optimizing (or more likely re-writing) effort or have considerable tuned down looks. It is very doubtful we'd ever get enough sales to cover the cost of porting.
It is quite possible that at some point we'll create OpenGL ES version of our renderer and release T2 for any Android device. Phones and tablets are getting faster at pretty good rate."
An IOS request for trine2...
Q: "What about iOS version? iPad Air 2 can deliver pretty much same performance as K1(or even higher). And it has Metal.
A: "Well, development time wise Metal is even worse than OpenGL ES. And GPU in iPad (whatever version) is inferior compared to Tegra. So no, we aren't going to do an iOS version unless someone writes us a blank check for development cost healthy profit .
-JLarja"
Nvidia Shield tablet and Console is the only ARM device that can run OpenGL 4.5 graphics, like a PC, that why some Titles ported from PC/Playstation will only work on Nvidia Shield products...
Using a custom ROM CyanogenMod with root enabled makes it is easy to just copy over Open GL 4.5 to the Nexus 9. XDA users have even posted the OpenGL directory from their Nvidia Shields so that Nexus 9 owners can use them. The beauty is you don't even have to remove or alter the currently instslled OpenGL ES in any way, as a game like Trine 2 just searches for and than uses the desktop version of Open GL when detected, bypassing OpenGL ES altogether. The Nvidia K1 Denver uses the exact same Kepler GPU as the K1 32bit variant, so their both completely compatible with Open GL 4.5, it's only Google that blocked it from Nexus ROM. I think they want to create continuity between the Nexus platforms, shared the excuse is though, I think it was lame that they did this. Thank goodness their a hackers out there that simply don't except this line of reasoning and since it's just Android we are talking about here, an opened platform, small modifications like this are simple to implement. Anyone skirmish about performing such a task can simply wait a little longer as their are people currently working on a Shield ROM for the Nexus 9 which will offer these modifications already pre-installed.
If your a gamer though I would just recommend getting the Nvidia Shield tablet over the Nexus 9. It offers similar graphics performance, an HDMI out port which is an awesome feature by the way in which I wish more Android tablets started to include it. The Shield has a 16:10 aspect ration which is a lot better for gaming vs. the 4:3 aspect ratio in the Nexus 9. As I own both tablets I have the luxury of just using them for their designated purposes, gaming, media consumption on one and work related tasks on the other. If I had to choose between the two though I would probably go for the Shield, it just offers a lot more in terms of flexibility and features. It even has a great little stylus that is perfect jotting down notes and because of the HDMI out you can even setup it up as desktop computer. Using a great little app from the awesome guys over at XDA called SecondScreen, you can change the DPI on the external monitor to reflect that of a more traditional desktop. Instead of seeing huge icons and text like you would when connecting an iPad or any other Android tablet, it looks like a normal desktop. Since their are great apps like MS Office for Android you can actually get real work done, especially on the Shield as it's very fast. Even web apps like Pixel, AudioTools, MS Office, EverNote, CodeEnvy run really good. Anyway I'll end it here, just wanted to fill you on the current status of the OpenGL fiasco. Google should have had Open GL 4.5 as an optional downloadable feature, like Apple not allowing their users to select their own default apps, which is down right despicable as far as I'm comcerned, it's just another one of those corporate nuisances in which they try to adorn by making it sound like it's for our own good, seriously though, screw'em for pulling this kind of crap on us. There is no excuse for it Google.
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Using a custom ROM CyanogenMod with root enabled makes it is easy to just copy over Open GL 4.5 to the Nexus 9. XDA users have even posted the OpenGL directory from their Nvidia Shields so that Nexus 9 owners can use them. The beauty is you don't even have to remove or alter the currently instslled OpenGL ES in any way, as a game like Trine 2 just searches for and than uses the desktop version of Open GL when detected, bypassing OpenGL ES altogether. The Nvidia K1 Denver uses the exact same Kepler GPU as the K1 32bit variant, so their both completely compatible with Open GL 4.5, it's only Google that blocked it from Nexus ROM. I think they want to create continuity between the Nexus platforms, shared the excuse is though, I think it was lame that they did this. Thank goodness their a hackers out there that simply don't except this line of reasoning and since it's just Android we are talking about here, an opened platform, small modifications like this are simple to implement. Anyone skirmish about performing such a task can simply wait a little longer as their are people currently working on a Shield ROM for the Nexus 9 which will offer these modifications already pre-installed.
If your a gamer though I would just recommend getting the Nvidia Shield tablet over the Nexus 9. It offers similar graphics performance, an HDMI out port which is an awesome feature by the way in which I wish more Android tablets started to include it. The Shield has a 16:10 aspect ration which is a lot better for gaming vs. the 4:3 aspect ratio in the Nexus 9. As I own both tablets I have the luxury of just using them for their designated purposes, gaming, media consumption on one and work related tasks on the other. If I had to choose between the two though I would probably go for the Shield, it just offers a lot more in terms of flexibility and features. It even has a great little stylus that is perfect jotting down notes and because of the HDMI out you can even setup it up as desktop computer. Using a great little app from the awesome guys over at XDA called SecondScreen, you can change the DPI on the external monitor to reflect that of a more traditional desktop. Instead of seeing huge icons and text like you would when connecting an iPad or any other Android tablet, it looks like a normal desktop. Since their are great apps like MS Office for Android you can actually get real work done, especially on the Shield as it's very fast. Even web apps like Pixel, AudioTools, MS Office, EverNote, CodeEnvy run really good. Anyway I'll end it here, just wanted to fill you on the current status of the OpenGL fiasco. Google should have had Open GL 4.5 as an optional downloadable feature, like Apple not allowing their users to select their own default apps, which is down right despicable as far as I'm comcerned, it's just another one of those corporate nuisances in which they try to adorn by making it sound like it's for our own good, seriously though, screw'em for pulling this kind of crap on us. There is no excuse for it Google.