Amazon TV is coming soon, but it won't arrive in the shape of a box. New reports indicate that Amazon TV will be a Chromecast-like stick, which will be able to stream both video and games from your PC or mobile device to your big-screen TV.
Earlier this year, rumors surfaced once again that Amazon would finally be releasing its first-ever Amazon TV this March. Rumors of a piece of video-streaming hardware from Amazon have been around for years, but this is the closest we have ever been to seeing the rumors have a chance to become a reality.
Now, TechCrunch reports that unnamed sources familiar with Amazon's TV plans say the video-streaming device will look a lot like the Chromecast USB dongle. The sources also claim that Amazon's TV stick will also be able to stream video games from any PC or Mac to your big-screen TV. The sources added that Amazon was working on making Xbox, PlayStation and Android-based gaming consoles compatible with the TV stick, too.
Although many of you probably saw the dongle form factor coming, the revelation about Amazon TV's game-streaming capabilities could be revolutionary. Chromecast and Roku's streaming stick are both very cool devices, but they are still somewhat deficient in the game category. If Amazon can ensure that it is the first company to fully incorporate the most popular games into its media-streaming stick, Amazon will have it made. Even if Amazon TV simply debuted with the ability to stream Android-based games and PC/Mac games, that capability would give Amazon a huge leg up on the competition.
One of the sources stated that Amazon TV will stream video games remotely, like on OnLive's service, rather than locally like NVIDIA Shield. The source stated that the top-tier video games would stream at 30 fps, which is pretty decent. It is unclear exactly how well this will work or if it will appeal to mainstream gamers, but it's definitely a great feature for Amazon TV because it would be distinctive. The rumored Amazon game controller would also be a fantastic addition to the package.
Amazon's large infrastructure of TV shows, movies, as well as PC and Mac games already ensures that its "TV" will be popular with users. Amazon Prime members will also undoubtedly be very interested in the media-streaming device.
