Google’s Chromecast has largely become this sort of innocuous throwaway object, with little to no innovation since its initial introduction, years ago. This week that all changed with a new version gaining not only a remote, but some software too.
Its kind of bonkers how long its taken to get a remote for the Chromecast, but then it didn’t really need a remote either because all it could do is just throw up whatever junk you were pushing to it from your <insert device name here>.
The new (logical, but confusingly named) “Chromecast with Google TV” is a Chromecast running Google’s own skin on their own Android TV software, which combined, they’re now calling “Google TV”. Got it? Yeah it’s cool hey.
The Chromecast brings the usual 4K HDR @ 60fps goodness you’d want in any TV streaming device these days and now makes it a competitor to the likes of Nvidia’s Shield TV or Telstra’s rebranded Roku garbage . It’s not as powerful as Nvidia’s beast, but it can do virtually the same as most others and hook you up to all your streaming services with ease.
The new Chromecast with Google TV is available to pre-order in Australia now, direct from the Google Store for A$99.