Google announces Nexus Player for games and movies
Google has announced its own Android console. Dubbed the Nexus Player, the device is built for game and movie streaming, similar to Amazon's Fire TV.
Google unveiled its own under-the-TV, Android-powered console in a press event yesterday. Sharing the same Nexus moniker with its other hardware products, the Nexus Player is built to counter Amazon Fire TV.
Boosting similar hardware specs to that of Fire TV. Player is powered by an Intel Atom quad-core processor, clocked at 1.8GHz, with an Imagination PowerVR Series 6 graphics engine.
Internal storage is 8GB, with only 1GB of RAM less than Amazon Fire TV's 2GB. Player outputs through an HDMI-out port at 1080p/60Hz and it has a micro-USB 2.0 port, a built-in Wi-Fi antenna, and Bluetooth 4.1 support.
The micro console weighs only 235g and consumes 18W of power. It's running what Google calls "Android TV", an OS built specifically for set-top boxes.
A remote controller is bundled with Player and supports voice commands. An optional game controller is also available separately.
Unlike Amazon, Google has not announced any plans to produce original games for the device. Instead, the focus seems to be on games already available on the Android marketplace. Online multiplayer and achievements sync are available for games that support it, for free.
Just like all competing devices, a large assortment of apps are available on day one. Apps like YouTube, HuluPlus, Netflix, Crackle, Plex, iHeart Radio, and many more. Curiously, the PR images do not show HBO Go, which could simply be an innocent omission. Then again, HBO Go is a big deal and would've been added to the list if it were available.
Media features include voice search, personalised recommendations and synced content across Android devices. You can start a film on one device and finish it on another, for instance. You can also stream content from Android or iOS devices, Mac or Windows laptops or even Chromebooks, to Player for TV viewing.
Player is priced $99 and comes with a remote control. The game controller is sold separately and is priced $40, according to cNET. Pre-orders will open October 17 and the unit will be available in stores starting November 3.
Have a look at what it looks like in the gallery below.
