Over the weekend, details regarding a new Google TV-powered Chromecast surfaced under the hardware code-name Boreal. At the time, hardware specifics for the upcoming device weren't known, but many speculated it could be a higher-end device, given the current Chromecast with Google TV's position in the market. According to Protocol, that's not going to happen, and the new device will cut plenty of corners to hit an even lower price than the current version.

This new model may arrive under the name "Chromecast HD with Google TV" and be powered by an AMlogic S805X2 chipset that supports AV1 video decoding (a requirement for Android TV devices now) as well as HDR10+ playback. It will reportedly keep a dongle form factor and include 2GB of RAM "at most" and support HD (1080p) streaming. Protocol says the new model will likely cost less than $40 — hopefully much less, since the current Chromecast with Google TV is only $50 and can handle 4K HDR streams.

Similar Android TV hardware is already being manufactured by SEI Robotics and SDMC for hardware partners — the former made T-Mobile's recent TVision HUB, which also supports AV1 decode.

While many had hoped a new model might mean a move up-market given the current version's age and price, it doesn't appear that's going to pan out, and Google is instead bringing the heat to Roku and Amazon at a budget level. Notably, Google had quite the beef with Roku last year, and at least some of that was tied to Roku's refusal to add AV1 decode to its future hardware due to cost. If Google can beat Roku at its own price point, delivering AV1 decode for less than $50, I guess Roku was wrong.

The benefits of AV1 are significant as well. You might remember 2020 when we all turned to streaming to occupy ourselves during lockdown. Our increased internet use led some companies to cap streaming quality in specific markets just to keep the internet as a whole running smoothly. The switch to AV1 decode can mean a 30% reduction in data requirements for the same level of quality compared to VP9, and that savings actually increases at higher resolutions, which matters as more of us get 4K TVs. This can help ease the strain services like YouTube and Netflix have on the internet as demand continues to rise.

Protocol could not confirm a release date for the new Chromecast, but 9to5 previously claimed that it would land later this year.