Google is believed to be working on yet another new Chromecast with Google TV streaming stick, and this one will hopefully bring some high specifications to the table.
Google launched the first Chromecast with Google TV dongle in late 2020, ditching its previous operating system Cast OS in favor of a revamped version of Android TV, known as “Google TV”. Then, last year, Google continued this theme with the launch of its cheaper Chromecast with Google TV (HD) dongle, which kept Google TV but dropped the support for 4K resolution in order to make the streaming hardware more affordable.
The most revolutionary new aspect of both streaming sticks was the Google TV aspect, as this new flavor of Android has since found its way into several TVs that formerly used Android, and is believed to be slowly but surely replacing the latter OS entirely. However, the Chromecast with Google TV dongles themselves were not exactly beasts, with Google purposely limiting their specs in order to keep costs down. One of the main complaints about the devices is their lack of storage space, which makes it impossible to keep a large number of media apps installed and updated. Beyond that, the streaming stick could definitely do with a performance boost, as at two years old it is starting to show its age as it competes against more powerful hardware.
The good news is that Google seems to realize this. A report by 9to5Google states that indications of an updated streaming device were found in the code for the latest preview update to the Google Home app. The code apparently refers to an upcoming device referred to as “YTC”, which is confirmed as a new “Chromecast with Google TV” device, alongside the earlier models - known as “YTV” (Chromecast with Google TV) and “YTB” (Chromecast HD).
Although no details of the new Chromecast with Google TV have been confirmed, it seems certain that it will come with higher specs. The most recent release (Chromecast HD) was a lower spec device, so it would make sense that Google is now looking at more power and functionality to boost the current flagship device.
We can at least guess at what some of the upgrades will be. The new device should come with a faster processor, and given that Google is now forcing TV manufacturers to include more storage space, it should also get more than the 8GB available on the original Chromecast with Google TV.
Perhaps, better connectivity options might also be available. A second USB-C port for hooking up accessories or extra storage would be nice to have, especially as adding a USB-C dock makes it impossible to use Google’s official power adapter with an Ethernet internet connection.
