Euro streaming hardware firm Thomson is keeping the Chromecast tradition alive, offering an upgraded basic dongle device that comes with a more powerful chipset and four-times as much storage as its predecessor.
The company unveiled the Thomson GoCast 152 this week, replacing its flagship dongle that debuted just one year ago.
Thomson’s streaming sticks have proven to be popular with fans of the Google Chromecast, which was discontinued in 2024 when the tech giant launched the much beefier Google TV Streamer. Like the old Chromecast sticks, Thomson’s devices run the Google TV operating system and therefore provide many of the same features beloved by Chromecast fans.
As with other dongles, the Thomson GoCast 152 is designed to be plugged into any TV that has an HDMI port and will transform that screen into a full Google TV experience, complete with streaming applications like Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max. It can be controlled with the TV’s remote control, or alternatively through the one Thomson supplies in the box.
Perhaps the best thing about the Thomson GoCast 152 is the expanded storage capacity. One of the main criticisms of the Thomson GoCast 150 – and Google’s most recent Chromecast dongles – was the lack of storage space, with capacity limited to just 8GBs. That’s just not enough for a great number of users, who find themselves having to delete and reload applications to access all of the services they need.
That shouldn’t be a problem for anyone who invests in the Thomson GoCast 152, for it comes with a generous 32GB of on-board storage, despite the current global memory chip supply crisis.
The other major new feature is the newer Amlogic Y5 chipset, which is a bit faster than the Amlogic Y4 found in the GoCast 150, although the on-board RAM is still capped at just 2GB. Nevertheless, the extra processing power should mean a more fluid user experience.
Thomson said the device supports 4K content, HDR10 and Dolby Atmos surround sound, though of course you’ll need a 4K resolution, HDR-capable TV and ideally a decent speaker setup to take advantage of those features. Unfortunately, Dolby Vision HDR is not supported – most likely because that’s seen as an advanced feature, reserved for the more expensive Thomson Google TV Streaming Box 245 (4K), which made its debut last month.
If you’re pining for the portability of the old Chromecast dongle, or you simply need a low-cost way to access streaming on your living room TV, the Thomson GoCast 152 is a very competitively priced option. It’s currently on sale in the U.K. via Amazon for the discounted price of £62.99, down from its recommended retail price of £69.99.
