Google announced the Nexus Player on Wednesday, its own TV set-top box with a focus on streaming video, apps and games.

The $99.99 Asus-designed device comes in the form of a short black cylinder with a voice-search enabled remote. It gives users access to the Google Play ecosystem of apps using a specially designed Android TV interface.

Users can also "cast" content from their tablets, PCs or other connected devices to Nexus Player using a similar process as the Chromecast HDMI dongle.

Much like Amazon Fire TV, Nexus Player will also support a dedicated gamepad built in a standard format complete with dual analogue sticks and four shoulder buttons. Gamepads will be sold separately for $39.99.

The pint-sized set top box includes a 1.8GHz Quad Core Intel Atom processor, 802.11ac 2x2 (MIMO) WiFi, and an HDMI out. It runs Android Lollipop, the latest release of Google's mobile operating system, as do the concurrently announced Nexus 9 tablet and Nexus 6 phone.

Nexus Player will be available for pre-order starting on October 17, with a North American release planned for November 3. European release plans have not been announced.



Posted: Oct 15, 2014 4:23 pm
Related Forum: Mobile Devices

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/478914/google-reveals-nexus-player-set-top-box/