The Chromecast with Google TV proved to be a popular-enough streaming device for the search giant to develop a new model bearing the code-name “Boreal”. The new streaming device is thought to be a higher-specced device than the Chromecast with Google TV which is a little anemic when it comes to storage.
According to 9to5Google, the “Boreal” code-name has been discovered in app teardowns and has been confirmed to be part of the same device family as the Chromecast with Google TV. While it’s believed to offer a higher level of specifications there are no details available on what sort of hardware we can expect the new device to feature. It is thought that it will sport native support for the AV1 hardware decoding format which is now required as standard on Android TV devices.
It’s unlikely that the Boreal device will directly replace the Chromecast with Google TV that launched back in 2020, so perhaps it will offer greater performance and be able to better compete with the likes of Nvidia’s Shield TV which is still the gold standard when it comes to Android-based streaming devices. It’s also possible that the streaming device could offer more emphasis on the Stadia cloud gaming service which desperately needs a boost.
When will Google announce this new device?
Given that all we really know about Boreal is its codename, the earliest that we could expect it to be announced is during Google I/O 2022 during May, but even that could be too soon.
