Android TV 13exited the beta testing phase last Decemberand finally arrived for developers to update their apps and services, but there were no big-ticket features that end users would be expected to care about. The new version of Google’s big-screen OS only introduced a minor update primarily focused on performance and accessibility improvements, with no significant customer-facing changes. This probably explains why it wasn’t immediately available on actual hardware at the time of its unveiling, but it’s now ready to make its way to your favoriteAndroid TVdevice.
What’s the difference between Google TV and Android TV?
The lowdown on Google’s two TV platforms
Googlequietly announcedthatAndroid 13is now available for Android TV, though its availability is fairly limited at the moment. As9to5Google notes, you’re able to only download the update if you have an ADT-3 developer box, a streaming device for Android TV development that was recently discontinued. For the time being, this leaves many of thebest Android TV boxesout in the cold, and it may be some time before Android TV 13 arrives on the Chromecast with Google TV or the Nvidia Shield TV.
It should be noted that in the case of Android TV 12, Google did not actually push the update to any piece of hardware until October 2022, even though it was released in December 2021. The most recent update may also face a long delay before reaching every smart TV and Android TV-based streaming device. If you’re lucky, it might appear in the second half of this year.
As is typically the case with OS updates, the latest one is all about behind-the-scenes APIs that matter only to developers, although they also mean new capabilities for end users. For example, one feature allows you to set your preferred resolution and refresh rate on supported HDMI source devices. The update also promises a more power-efficient standby mode with new power management improvements. Furthermore, thanks to a new keyboard layouts API, different language layouts are now supported on external keyboards, and game developers will be able to reference keys based on their physical location.
In addition to the ADT-3 test platform, the update is also available on the Android TV emulator, so you’ll have another option if the dongle is beyond your reach.
