New 4K Chromecast With Google TV Said to be on the Way

The original Chromecast with Google TV, the $49.99 dongle with a full Google TV experience that can turn any TV into a smart one, is a product that has needed a refresh since the day it launched. Yes, I’m an absolute hater of the dongle with the longest name, because it has always struggled with performance, has a too-tiny remote, and is really only on a single TV I own because it is cheap. We buy it because it’s only $50 on most days, but is often discounted to a level that makes it tough to ignore.

This week, a new report suggests a refresh is on the way, likely with a new remote too. Unfortunately, this new report from 9to5Google does not have any other details, only that this will be a replacement for the 4-year old 4K model that I just complained about. That’s great!

We can now speculate on some stuff. First, we’ve seen images of a possible remote upgrade from an Android beta only last year, which really had us believing this replacement could have been here already. The remote looks very similar in shape to the current one, only it’s bigger or longer and has more buttons. As long as it’s bigger than the current remote that is wildly slippery, I’m here for it. And sure, give us more buttons too.

The other item to speculate about is what will be inside this new 4K Chromecast. Honestly, just swap out the chipset and add more storage and RAM. The reason the original is such an unremarkable device is because it takes far too long to boot and run properly, often hangs and lags, and easily runs out of storage. Big upgrades inside are necessary, which I’d imagine Google can do without a giant price hike. It has been 4 years, after all.

So when could we expect this new 4K Chromecast with Google TV? No one knows just yet outside of Google. Could we see it at Google I/O in a couple of weeks? With no leaks or FCC filings, I kind of doubt it. Could Google hold off until an October Pixel 9 event? Maybe. They could choose to launch this device whenever they want too, maybe in mid-summer. Again, we don’t know, only that it is reportedly on the way.