But it would be great if Google and Apple could continue to build on Apple TV's presence on Google TVs by enabling AirPlay, too. AirPlay supportĬhromecasts can already cast content from Apple devices in certain apps, including nearly all the major ones like Netflix, Disney Plus, Spotify and YouTube, or the Chrome browser on Macs. If the two companies can work together, it could set the next Chromecast apart from the pack. I know this is all very optimistic, but since this is a wish list, I may as well dream big.
Microsoft has an app for Game Pass for Android, but it still isn't properly optimized or officially supported on Google TV and Android TV.
If this argument sounds familiar, I still think Roku should embrace gaming for nearly all of the same reasons. Seems like it could be a win all around, and with a more powerful processor, the Chromecast with Google TV could probably run those services easily since it already can run Stadia. Google gains new partners, and gamers pick up a new way to stream games onto their televisions - or to be able to play on TV outside the home, or on a second TV, without needing to move a console. So while Google Stadia and even Nvidia GeForce Now are supported on the Chromecast today, why not have an Xbox Game Pass app or one for PlayStation Plus? Microsoft and/or Sony gain a new avenue to boost their platforms without requiring the costly purchase of a console.
Game streaming has not only become more commonplace with the rise of Stadia, Xbox Game Pass, Amazon Luna and Nvidia GeForce Now - and soon Sony's PlayStation Plus Premium - but it's increasingly becoming a table-stakes feature for streaming video platforms. Yes, Google has Stadia support on the Chromecast with Google TV, but who knows what exactly is going on with that platform. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold in one subscription.
Some of this can be fixed with more refined software, but two years is a long time in tech terms, and I wouldn't mind some extra silicon horsepower under the hood. It's not bad, but the Chromecast with Google TV definitely lags compared to more recent players like Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Read More: Apple TV 2022 Wish List: What I Want to See in a Refresh This Year Faster processorĪ faster chip is almost always a given in technology upgrades, but Google's hardware in particular is starting to show its age.
Here are a few things I'd love to see Google embrace in its next streamer, whenever it might be released. But as we approach Google's annual I/O developer conference, set for May 11, and the Chromecast with Google TV's second birthday, now is a good time for an update. I love the current device and rank it second overall, a notch below my favorite, Roku. The company's most recent TV product, 2020's Chromecast with Google TV streaming device, is hands-down its best effort to date.įor $50, this device brings useful Google Assistant and YouTube TV tie-ins, support for pretty much all the major streaming apps and - notably for Google - a real remote paired with a stylish, simple, powerful on-screen menu system. Things seemed to be looking up for Google TV's successor, the first, $35 Chromecast in 2013, but they stagnated as apps proved to be more popular and accessible than casting content off a device.
The first wave of Google TV devices in 2010, including the Logitech Revue set-top box and Sony NSX-GT1 television, were promising but plagued by complexity, unpolished software and blocked content. Google's television ambitions have had a rocky history.