Nexus Player is Google's Apple TV and so much more

Google is tackling the streaming media player space again, with a new set-top box called Nexus Player. And it can play Android games.

Nexus Player is the first device to run Android TV, a platform first announced in June. It allows you to stream music, movies, TV shows, and games. It even has some Chromecast features, meaning the Nexus Player just might finally be the device Google needs to get TV right. The company has tried for years; it's only success thus far has been the Chromecast HDMI dongle.

"Nexus Player, a collaboration with Asus, is a streaming media player for movies, music and videos. It's also a first-of-its-kind Android gaming device," announced Google in a post published on 15 October through its official blog. "With Nexus Player you can play Android games on your HDTV with a gamepad, then keep playing on your phone while you're on the road."

Nexus Player also runs a Lollipop-flavoured version of Android TV, and it is Google Cast Readyright out of the box. That means you can cast your media from almost any Chromebook or Android or iOS phone or tablet to your TV. In other words, depending on how much it costs when it becomes available for purchasee, Nexus Player could be a Chromecast killer.

Nexus Player pre-orders start on 17 October. It'll eventually launch on 3 November, though a price tag has yet to be announced. At first blush, the set-top box certainly seems a lot like Google's version of the Apple TV, Apple's so-called hobby device. It's also like Amazons' Fire TV, mostly because gamers can use it to play their beloved Android games.