New Fire TV Stick rival offers a useful update that Amazon can’t match

The streaming wars are heating up again, with Google revealing its latest device aimed at competing with the Amazon Fire TV Stick. It’s called the Google TV Streamer, and it’s packed with features that should make your daily boxed viewing experience super easy and packed with things to watch. Like most streaming gadgets, this TV-watching device includes access to all the most popular premium apps, like YouTube TV, Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV. Google is also promising that homes will be able to tune in to over 800 free channels, meaning there should never be a dull moment.

Sure, so much content can mean there’s too much to choose from, but Google thinks it can ease the pain of late-night TV viewing by using smart artificial intelligence (AI) and personal preferences to make content suggestions for all your subscriptions.

You can even create lists for each family member, and with Google’s Gemini intelligent assistant, users can view full summaries, reviews, and season breakdowns of content right from their device.

Anyone with a ton of connected gadgets at home will be able to control them directly from the TV Streamer, plus you’ll be able to see the full image from every smart home camera connected to your network on the big screen.

Of course, you’ll find many of these features on the Fire TV Stick as well, but there’s one thing you can’t do with Amazon’s gadgets: you won’t be able to find the remote if it slips off the couch.

Amazon offers a Pro Remote with a built-in alarm, but it costs £35 more. The Google TV Streamer comes with a smart channel changer as standard, so if you lose it, just shout “Hey Google, find my remote” and it will beep loudly.

Other features include 4K HDR with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support, as well as the ability to transform an idle TV into a work of art. Voice search will recall your favorite memories from your personal Google Photos accounts.

“Google TV Streamer is designed to give you the best entertainment and smart home experience possible. It replaces Chromecast, bringing its best features to our next-generation 4K TV streaming device — but as a faster, more premium version.”

The new gadget is set to launch late next month, but Google has so far only announced its availability in the US. There’s no word on a global launch yet, but we expect it to arrive in the UK at a later date.

It costs $99.99 (£78) in the US, which is more than the £69.99 price of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max from Amazon.