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Microsoft Developing Low-Cost Xbox Streaming Dongle That Could Rival Apple TV
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I think Apple simply doesn't see the need to compete in the low end of the market.
I think Apple sees gaming as primarily mobile and thus their focus on them for ATV.
Exatlt. Properly done, teh ATV becomes the home hub for security/broadband/video/WFH. For example, partner with say TMob to include 5G/router into an ATV box to become not just a video box but your broadband connection. Apple handles payment and throws in ATV+ as part of the deal; and offers other bundles as well.
I’m not sure what you mean here by low end. I bought my parents an Roku streaming stick to make one of their ‘dumb’ TVs ‘smart‘. With tax it was around $50. It has pretty much any app they would want to stream content from. What does an Apple TV HD do that makes it worth $100 more? How would a cheap streaming dongle be any different than making an Apple TV app for Roku and other platforms?
Except that’s not what Apple TV is. Why would someone pay $149 for an Apple TV box when they can get a Roku streaming stick (which offers the Apple TV app) for $50?
Depends on what you value. ATV has AirPlay and connects with teh Apple Ecosystem such as HomeKit/Music/etc.
Apple does not want to compete in that market, anymore than making iOS apps for Android devices.
I know it isn't; rather a possible roadmap.
Because it does things besides just TV? Value means different things to different people.
Agreed. This is a lousy comparison of two completely different products. The Xbox dongle is not going to “rival” AppleTV in any way. I’m so tired of these tenuous connections made to create clicks.
Clicks, my friend. What’s more interesting?
Microsoft rumored to be working on an Xbox Cloud Gaming dongle.
Or
Microsoft rumored to be working on an Xbox Cloud Gaming dongle to rival the AppleTV (which no one uses for gaming, and we’re not sure how this product is a rival, but we’ll make a tenuous connection anyway).
Audio over hdmi offers more codecs and is better for most modern hoke audio systems. Especially if you want atmos support
I agree with you that if someone simply wants to be able to watch Netflix on their TV (and assuming their TV doesn't already come with said app preinstalled), it would make more financial sense to get a Roku. In this context, it makes little sense for Apple to create a cheap streaming stick which barely makes them any profit, just so you can use it to stream someone else's content. Not to mention that the primary reason why the roku setup box is so cheap is because Roku is at its heart an advertising company (about 86% of their revenue comes from ads). There is no way Apple can hope to match the price of a competitor who is subsidising their own hardware with ads.
My take is that an Apple TV would make more sense to families with an Apple One subscription, where they can also access Apple Arcade and Fitness+ (services which aren't available anywhere else). You will need the extra specs to be able to handle some of the more demanding arcade games like worlds of demons or oceanhorn (which routinely crashes on my older A8 Apple TV unit).
A cheaper ATV box would likely end up making compromises in terms of specs, which I believe Apple is consciously avoiding in order to preserve the overall consumption experience (ie: better specs, no ads, improved privacy, better integration with the apple ecosystem). The ATV is there for users who are willing to pay for a premium experience, and the likelihood is that once you have gotten one, it's only a matter of time before you end up purchasing additional units to attach to the other screens in your home. Why would you settle for anything less when by definition, you would already be balls-deep in the Apple ecosystem at this point?
And if you aren't, then you weren't Apple's target customer to begin with, and Apple hasn't lost anything either way.
Apple doesn’t chase AAA gaming since currently there is more profit in mobile games
Companies that make those cheap sticks do so because their real profit driver is advertising or in case of Amazon locking you into their store
So many people I know bought Apple TV’s after spending time in my apt. If you watch a lot of tv and win a lot of apple products it’s definitely worth the cost. I mostly play apple music in my living room through the Apple TV hooked up to my home theater system
It would rival the Nvidia Shield actually but hey, everything needs to be about Apple these days.
Anyway my Sony Google TV is a perfectly capable gaming streaming device. I already used it with Geforce Now, Stadia, Steam Link and Moonlight app/service(which I installed as an APK on my TV, crazy stuff) that can stream any game I have on my PC or Laptop to my Sony TV.
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I doubt many people play smartphone games on their TV's.
And Yes, access to affordable AAA games on TVs makes mobile games on TV's quite irrelevant.
This sounds like a no-brainer to anybody who thinks that streaming the most popular games is a feasible option. I can't get behind it with the lag... Sure, it might do well for indie 8-bit retro platforming titles, but I throw up in my mouth a little time I try to play Forza or Halo ... or basically anything that you need precision for.
I think that is exactly correct. I've used Roku and others, and nothing comes close to the quality of the AppleTV. I suspect the reason people gravitate towards the low end devices is because they haven't experienced the difference, maybe. Doesn't really matter to me, I'd never downgrade to a stick, it just doesn't have the computational power or quality. So, I haven't thought about it much, the Apple TV is pretty awesome. Apple TV+ content is great and I suspect more will come, and the Apple Fitness stuff is perfect via Apple TV, sync up our watches, monitor heart rates, review progress on our phones, and it all just works fluidly.
That said, I don't really get this comparison between Xbox and Apple TV. Are they saying Apple TV owners can look forward to high-end gaming on the Apple TV? We never had that expectation. I know all the Arcade stuff runs on it well, and we have some controllers for those, but we've never even considered making a comparison between the Apple TV and a Playstation or Xbox. Each has a very different focus. I suppose... if next gen versions of the Apple TV hardware have the capabilities, it could replace the PlayStation, but I'm not exactly on the edge of my seat waiting on that. However.... it has been years, waiting for the PS5, so it could happen.
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Hey Microsoft how about apps for the various streaming devices that allows cloud gaming through them instead of buying yet another device? Would love to do xbox cloud gaming on my apple tv using an xbox controller.
There was a rumor that they were developing this for the previous generation.
And Microsoft, under Nadella, has shown that they're willing to cancel products literally a week before they're scheduled to announce them, if they feel they aren't "good enough".
I have a Series X hooked up to my LG C1.
As far as streaming movies etc:
Kodi on Xbox does not currently support HDR (at least it didn't for me), but this could be fixed.
I use MrMC (a fork of Kodi) on AppleTV which works fine.
But for games, AppleTV doesn't stand a chance against Microsoft.
As far as streaming movies etc:
Kodi on Xbox does not currently support HDR (at least it didn't for me), but this could be fixed.
I use MrMC (a fork of Kodi) on AppleTV which works fine.
But for games, AppleTV doesn't stand a chance against Microsoft.
I'm sure that casual gaming makes more money that the classic $60/game console market. What I'm interested in is how Gamepass is comparing to this - you pay a small monthly fee for access to a large range of games without the need to buy a $500 console (and buy a new version console every 5 years).