The current trend in digital entertainment right now is the ability to marry television, video streaming, gaming, internet connectivity and mobile technology all into one device. Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4 popularised the idea of an all-in-one system. And with Amazon’s own Fire TV just around the corner, Google are also getting in on the act with their Nexus Player set-top box, which is almost ready to launch.
Similar to the Amazon Fire TV, the Google Nexus Player will allow users to stream videos, apps and games straight onto their TV screen. It also features a Chromecast-style capability, meaning content from tablets and PCs can also be streamed. Designed by Asus, the set-top box itself seems rather simplistic in its design. Physically it appears to be nothing more than a basic, black cylinder, which comes shipped with a voice-enabled remote control.
There will also be a dedicated gamepad available, which looks remarkably similar to an Xbox controller, complete with dual analogue sticks, slick black design, four shoulder buttons and colour-coded X, Y, A and B buttons. However, if users wish to use the gamepad with their Nexus Player, they will have to fork over an additional $40. The device itself is set to go on sale for around $100 (£62 or just less than 80 Euros).
According to the article linked above, the Google Nexus Player is built with a “1.8GHz Quad Core Intel Atom processor, 802.11ac 2×2 (MIMO) WiFi, and an HDMI out. It runs Android Lollipop, the latest release of Google’s mobile operating system.”
Pre-orders are set to begin tomorrow (October 17th). While there is still a European release date to be announced, North American customers can expect to see the set-top box in stores by November 3rd, 2014.
Will you be picking one up? Let us know in the comments section below.