Apple is reportedly working on a new version of its Apple TV streaming hardware that will focus on improvements around gaming.
According to Bloomberg, the new Apple TV currently in development will include a faster processor designed for handling video games. The report also said the company is working on improvements for the Apple TV remote, though the only specifics mentioned include adding a feature similar to the Find My Phone feature in other Apple devices.
Mac Rumors pointed out earlier this year that the iOS 13.4 beta in January suggested that Apple was working on a new Apple TV with an A12X Bionic chip. 9to5Mac reported that the new Apple TV would include the same A14 chip as the new iPhones, which would improve graphics performance and provide up to 6GB of RAM.
The report suggests that any new Apple TV device might not ship until 2021.
RELATED: Deeper Dive—Will the world ever get an Apple TV streaming stick?
Apple TV is priced much higher than competing devices from Amazon and Roku and subsequently, those two companies have gained control of most of the U.S. connected TV streaming device market. According to TDG’s “Benchmarking the Connected Consumer 2019” research just more than 30% of adult broadband users have a streaming box, and 38% have a streaming stick. The data shows that Roku has approximately 51% share of the streaming box market in the U.S., the company has only about 30% of the market for streaming sticks. Fire TV, on the other hand, only has 28.5% share of the U.S. streaming box market but nearly 57% of the streaming stick share of U.S. households.
Alan Wolk, co-founder and lead analyst at TV[R]EV, said that Apple would be smart to release a less-expensive streaming device.
“Given they had previously rolled out the Nano and the Shuffle for music, it’s baffling that they did not roll out a lower priced stick for TV,” Wolk said.
If the new Apple TV does indeed focus on an improved gaming experience, it could mean that Apple is placing more emphasis on its Apple Arcade cloud gaming service.
Apple Arcade launched in September 2019 priced at $4.99/month after a one-month free trial. The service includes unlimited access to more than 100 games without ads or in-app purchases, downloads for offline play and access for up to six family members.