A Refreshed 4K Chromecast With Google TV Is Coming With Key Streaming Upgrades

Google looks to be poised to release a refresh to its Chromecast with Google TV 4K streaming device, according to a recent report. The original model debuted in 2020, and at this point the hardware could certainly use an update. It also appears as if the included remote will be seeing some changes as well.

The current model sports an AMlogic905X3 quad-core ARM chip running at 1.9Ghz, 2GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard storage. While performance isn’t necessarily bad, it will likely feel long in the tooth with Google rolling out constant updates to the platform. Moreover, App developers continue to add increasing functionality to their software, pushing the hardware further. So a refresh of the specs will certainly be a welcomed upgrade for fans of Google’s streaming devices.


However, the bigger possible update will come in the remote that’s bundled with this new streaming device. The current version is just an odd shape, best described as a pill cut in half. It’s awkward to hold and use, with the rocker volume buttons on the right side of the remote being the biggest design fumble.

A glimpse of the new remote’s design was spotted in the Android TV 14 Beta. While the odd shape remains, it looks as if the volume buttons will mercifully be placed in a more logical spot on the face of the remote. There are also more buttons in the new design, with the inclusion of a button that users can customize to their liking, mapping it to an app of their choice, for example.

It’s good to see Google may plan to continue to support its Chromecast devices with new hardware, considering the company has a penchant for cancelling products. Hopefully the pricing remains reasonable as the original release, and these updated devices hit the market sometime soon.