Apple is hosting the Spring Loaded Event this week, making a plethora of announcements. Along with the announcement of the new M1 chip powered iPad Pro, the company also unveiled the new Apple TV 4K and a new version of the Apple TV Remote.
In the last few weeks, the rumor was that the new Apple TV Remote would also act as a gaming controller. However, that does not seem to be the case. According to MacRumors, the new remote won’t feature a gyroscope nor come with an accelerometer, If that’s the case, the new Apple Remote will not be able to double down as a gaming controller.
The event showcased the Apple Remote’s power and mute button along with the physical click pad and the dedicated Siri button. When the tvOS 14.5 comes out, Apple will ask users to connect an older version of the Apple remote or make use of other gaming controllers such as the Xbox or the PlayStation controller.
It was speculated that the tech giant will offer expanded controller support in the new update. Apple is supposedly working on improving the overall gaming performance of the Apple TV, which comes with the powerful A12 chip. The new Apple TV Remote, however, lacks the standard four-shoulder buttons that are required by the games on the tvOS. In case you were wondering if the new Apple TV will include support for Xbox and PlayStation controllers, the support for them has been standardized in the last couple of years.
Coming to the Apple TV itself, it is the successor to the last-gen model that came out in 2017. The newer A12 chip enables the TV to playback HDR content at consistently high frame rates. The company also stated that it is actively working with several service providers such as NBCUniversal, Red Bull TV, Canal +, and others to offer HDR content.
Moreover, the new Apple TV will be able to play the high-resolution Dolby Vision videos that are shot on the iPhone 12 Pro at 60fps using the AirPlay feature. Another notable addition is the ability to automatically color balance the TV using an iPhone camera.
Apple TV uses the light sensor in iPhone to compare the color balance to the industry-standard specifications used by cinematographers worldwide. Using this data, Apple TV automatically tailors its video output to deliver much more accurate colors and improved contrast–without customers ever having to adjust their television settings.
The Apple Remote has been completely redesigned this time. Surprisingly, the remote is now thicker and comes with a touch controller. The latest version of the Apple TV will be available from April 30 at $179 for the 32GB version whereas the 64GB version will cost you $199.
The release of the new Apple TV has brought down the price of the 2017 Apple TV with the new remote down to $149.
