All the features I want to see

The Chromecast with Google TV was a major game-changer when it first arrived back in 2020. It represented the evolution of Chromecast from a simple casting device into a powerful Android TV streamer with a new Google TV interface, a remote, and plenty of other new features. Four years later, the streamer still works quite well but is definitely starting to show its age.

Recently, I had the opportunity to review the Onn 4K Pro. With rumors and leaks starting to ramp up about a new streamer from Google, there are a lot of features here that I’m hoping to see in the next Chromecast with Google TV to match Walmart’s budget box. With that in mind, here’s what I’d like to see from the new Chromecast with Google TV HD and/or 4K when it finally arrives.

The addition of hands-free voice control is one of the best features of the Onn 4K Pro, and it’s made using my Chromecast with Google TV just a little less satisfying now that I know what’s possible. It’s extremely handy to have voice commands to quickly pause or unpause whatever you’re watching without having to fumble for a remote. This is especially true in my family, as I have three kids, and it can get pretty hectic. Let’s just say remotes go missing a lot.

Beyond using it to pause or unpause, you can also rewind specific time intervals with your voice, ask it to put on specific platforms or even a specific show on a platform, ask it basic questions, and so much more.

It seems pretty obvious that if the platform now supports hands-free mics like this, it’s only a matter of time before Google comes on board with its own take. Although there’s only so much Google can do to build on this concept, there is one thing they could do: add a hands-free speaker into the remote too. You wouldn’t have to push a button to trigger it; you could just use the same “Hey Google.” This would mean you wouldn’t have to shout as loudly to get it to register commands when the TV is on (as the remote would be closer), something I have noticed can be a slight problem with the current speaker setup on the Onn.

A remote control finder

As I mentioned, I have three kids, and the remote often goes missing. (If I’m actually honest, I also wander off with it and leave it in random rooms…) That was one of the things I didn’t like about the Chromecast with Google TV. I’ve used other streamers and DVRs in the past that had “find my remote” functionality, but Google just flat-out didn’t offer this feature. Even worse, they made the remote small and slippery. It’s almost like they want you to lose it and buy another (puts on a tin foil hat).

This might seem silly, but if the new Chromecast with Google TV ignores the remote control finder function again, I’m likely going to stick to the Onn 4K Pro. With the Onn, all you have to do is ask Google to find your remote, and it starts ringing immediately with a range that’s good enough to cover the average home size without any issue. Thankfully, we’ve discovered some evidence that a remote finder is likely to be widely supported as a native feature in future Google TV builds through Android 14 for TV.

It’s not just the lack of a remote finder that I find annoying about the current Chromecast remote. In my Onn 4K Pro review, I noted that the remote felt cheaper than the Chromecast with Google TV remote, even though it was more functional. I stand by this. The plastic quality and button presses definitely feel inferior. However, that doesn’t mean I necessarily prefer the Chromecast’s remote. I’ve already mentioned it’s small and slippery, but that’s not the only drawback. The current Chromecast remote is extremely minimalist, and while I can appreciate that, it’s almost too sparse.

On the front, there’s the circular navigation bar, a back button, a Google Assistant button, Home, mute, YouTube, Netflix, Power, and an input switch. On the side, you find a volume rocker. The Onn 4K Pro has a much more conventional-looking remote, though it’s still relatively small and streamlined. It includes a Power button, four partner channel buttons, a Magic customizable button, a profile button, a settings button, a live TV button, volume rockers, and even up/down channel change buttons.

I don’t want Google to necessarily massively redesign the remote’s looks. I liked its rounded corners and clean aesthetics. I also like minimalism, but at the very least, a Profile button, Settings key, and some Magic buttons would be pretty nice. In fact, I’d love to see Magic buttons replace partner buttons for services like Netflix completely. That’s probably not going to happen, but one can dream. If Google made its current YouTube and Netflix buttons into Magic keys and just lengthened the remote a little, they could easily fit a few more keys and features without necessarily losing what’s good about the current remote.

I actually really like the way the Chromecast with Google TV dongle looks right now. It’s clean and minimalist, like the remote, and it has some nice improvements over its predecessor, such as a slightly longer built-in HDMI cord. Of course, it’s also designed to stay hidden behind the TV set. If Google adds voice-free mics into the body, this would have to change.

I’m hoping the next design takes some cues from the Nest Audio and creates something that looks reasonable and unassuming in a typical living room. I’d also like built-in speakers that work even when the TV is off, effectively turning it into a music player as well. This would be a major departure from the current design, which is basically an iterative style that traces its roots back to the first Chromecasts.

While we’re at it, I hope that Google gives us an HDMI port this time, with an included external HDMI cord. I dislike the built-in cord on the Chromecast, as HDMI cords are known to break from time to time. Right now, if the HDMI cord gets broken or damaged, the Chromecast with Google TV becomes, at best, a doorstop.

Considering the Chromecast has existed in one form or another since 2013, it’s certain that a new Chromecast with Google TV will emerge at some point in the future. Although Google has yet to clarify its plans, there have been more than a few rumors and signs suggesting that new hardware is imminent.

While there were early whispers in January that the Chromecast would get a new model this year, these rumors didn’t really heat up until March. An update to the Google Home app revealed a mysterious device codenamed YTD, which was referenced alongside YTC and YTB, the current 4K and HD models.

Shortly thereafter, a new report suggested that the launch of the Chromecast with Google TV was imminent and would include upgrades such as the Magic button. Many believed this indicated a Google IO reveal, but that never materialized. Thankfully, we have seen the Magic button and many other innovative features surface in the Onn 4K Pro, which suggests that these rumors are true, but Google is just taking its time.

For now, we can’t say exactly when you’ll see the new Chromecast with Google TV, only that it is likely to come this year. The next model will likely be an upgrade to the 4K hardware only, though it’s possible Google could launch both updates in the same timeframe.

Looking into the Chromecast’s history, all we can say is that a new 4K Chromecast is very overdue.

• Chromecast (2nd gen)  — September 29, 2015
• Chromecast (3rd gen) — October 10, 2018
• Chromecast with Google TV 4K (4th gen) — September 20, 2020

The Chromecast family has typically introduced new generations every two to three years. In fact, the larger gap between the 2nd and 3rd generation was due to the introduction of the Chromecast Ultra as an interim device, similar to the release of the Chromecast with Google TV HD in 2022.

If the Chromecast with Google TV does come out this year, it is very possible it will arrive in late summer, based on their traditional release windows, but again, that’s really just a guess at this stage.

The new Chromecast with Google TV has yet to be officially mentioned by Google, and while the increase in rumors makes a 2024 release fairly likely, there are no guarantees. If you need a new streamer right now, you might consider picking up the aging Chromecast with Google TV ($35.55 at Amazon). Conversely, the Onn 4K Pro ($49.88 at Walmart) is a more powerful alternative if the idea of getting a Walmart store brand doesn’t turn you off.