Nexus Player gains support for Google Assistant via November security patch

The Google Nexus Player was first introduced back in late-2014 around the time that Android Lollipop launched. Since then, Google’s TV Nexus device powered by Android TV has been receiving updates. It was updated to Oreo a couple of months ago which brought a brand-new interface to the streaming device.

Although the device is clearly missing from Google’s list of devices supported with software updates, the Nexus Player received an update with the latest security bulletin from Google. When booting the Nexus Player back up, a prompt introduces Google Assistant for the device. You can use either the bundled remote or the Android TV app to talk to Google Assistant.

Considering that Google is still updating the Nexus Player, we could speculate that it may be working on releasing a TV streaming box that would launch alongside Google’s Chromecast offerings. Although the Nexus Player is running the latest version of Android, its 1GB of RAM, 8GB of onboard storage and 1.8GHz Intel Atom SoC may be reaching the end of its life. Though, given its 5GHz Wi-Fi compatibility, it’s still good for streaming.

Via