The latest Google Chromecast 2020 has been re-imagined making it a different product than the original $35 streaming stick that we reviewed way back in 2013. The 2020 Chromecast has evolved to offer a richer, full-featured streaming experience much more akin to a Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Apple TV complete with a remote control.
It now comes with an all-new user interface designed by Google (and built atop Android TV) that’s flush with content from popular services like Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO Max. You navigate that content with a normal remote control that comes in the box. And as a streaming gadget, the Chromecast 2020 checks off almost everything important: it does 4K, supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and has a massive selection of apps at the ready.
ALSO READ: Detailed Guide to Streaming in Uganda
The “Chromecast with Google TV,” as it’s fully called, is available starting today for $49.99, a price that puts Google right in line with Roku’s Streaming Stick Plus and Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K. It’s also $20 less than Google’s Chromecast Ultra, which doesn’t have a remote or its own TV interface.
At its core, the Google Chromecast 2020 is a dongle that plugs into your TV’s HDMI port, but it’s got a softer oval shape with a matte finish. Unlike older models, which could sometimes get enough power from a TV’s USB port, this one must be plugged into the accompanying 7.5-watt power brick. Google has switched to USB-C on the Chromecast itself.
The Chromecast 2020 now runs Android TV as its operating system, which means you’ve got a wide variety of apps to choose from. Aside from an Apple TV Plus app, which doesn’t currently exist on Google’s platforms, there are no obvious holes in the Chromecast’s roster of streaming services. HBO Max and Peacock are both available already, as are Netflix, Prime Video, Plex, and just about anything else you’ll be looking for.
The Chromecast’s new remote control looks like a Roku remote (minus the headphone jack). There’s a Google Assistant button, which you can press and hold for voice searches, plus shortcuts for YouTube (of course) and Netflix. The remote uses both HDMI-CEC and IR, so it’s got power and volume buttons. There’s also an input button for switching your TV over to the Chromecast 2020, so you don’t have to reach for another remote to do that, either. It’s powered by two AAA batteries, which are conveniently included in the box.
A whole new Google TV Service
With Google TV the Operating system tries to break down the walls between streaming platforms and puts all of their movies and shows side by side. It’s split into different sections — For You, Movies, Shows, Apps, and Library — and you can switch between them from the top navigation bar. Browse the first three and you’ll find a very Netflix-like layout with rows of content grouped by genre or some other category that links them.
You can tell Google TV which streaming apps you pay for, and those will be prioritized in your recommendations. But that doesn’t mean you’ll never get suggestions from apps you’re not subscribed to; We don’t have HBO Max in Uganda but don’t be surprised if Google TV still leans on it pretty heavily in the Movies section.
If you are not a Google TV fan, there’s an “apps-only mode” that can be enabled in settings that hides all recommendations from your home screen. But this is a drastic step, as it also completely disables search and Google Assistant. It hobbles the Chromecast 2020 so badly that there’s really no point in doing it — especially since it’s the same home screen, just without recommendations below your row of apps. You’d be better off just buying something else.
With Android TV it means you can easily sideload apps, explore developer settings, and try to hack the Chromecast 2020 into doing whatever you want from it. You can pair Bluetooth gamepads (such as an Xbox One controller) to the Chromecast. The Chromecast will accept a wired internet connection from some USB-C hubs with Ethernet. As expected, Google Assistant can control your smart home gadgets or update you on the weather. And you can set the Chromecast to cycle through your Google Photos library when in ambient mode, turning your TV into a giant picture frame.
