The newest Chromecast, the 1080p Chromecast with Google TV (HD), is only a few months old, but we could be due for another new streaming dongle out of Google in the near future. According to 9to5Google, the latest preview update for Google Home makes reference to a yet-unannounced Chromecast with Google TV device. As for what exactly it could be, there's not much to go on — but we have our theories.

9to5 says that, in addition to the first Chromecast with Google TV — referred to in the Google Home app's code as YTV — and the more recent HD Chromecast — YTB — there are now references to a third Chromecast with Google TV device, referred to as YTC.

The existing 4K Chromecast with Google TV is pretty feature rich for its price, but it comes with some annoying limitations. Chiefly, the dongle's eight gigs of storage space is restrictive, and there's no practical way to add more (you can use a USB hub to hook up an SD card, but that dampens the appeal of such a small, unobtrusive device).

Considering the current Chromecast options are already affordable at $50 and $30, it's reasonable to expect that this third option could be a higher-end model. A more premium offering would be a boon to Android TV enthusiasts who want a great streaming box not built by Nvidia, and more directly compete with Apple's TV box options — the speedy Apple TV 4K retails for $129.

It's also possible this new YTC could be a refresh of the default 4K Chromecast with Google TV, meant to provide a similar midrange experience to the dongle Google released in 2020. Aside from storage frustrations, though, the original CCwGTV is holding up pretty well, so a one-to-one replacement in the near future sounds a little less likely.

For now, though, your guess is really as good as ours. This is the first we've heard of this YTC device, and there's just not a lot to go on yet. The preceding two Chromecast with Google TV devices were each announced in the fall, but with YTC appearing in the Google Home app's code now, we may get an official look at it sooner than Autumn 2023. Here's hoping.