In an unexpected move, Google Play has now come to all current generation Roku devices.
While there have been numerous methods of getting Google Play content to your television, most of them have involved Google Devices, or other streaming solutions running some form of Android. All of that changed today however with the launch of Google Play channel for Roku devices. As the announcement states, this channel will work on all “current generation” Roku devices, which include:
Current generation players are those introduced after June 2011 and include Roku 3 (4200X), Roku 2 (2720X), Roku 1 (2710X), Roku Streaming Stick, both HDMI (3500X) and Roku Ready (3400X, 3420X) versions, Roku LT (2400X, 2450X, 2700X), Roku 2 HD (3000X), Roku 2 XD (3050X), Roku 2 XS (3100X) and the Roku HD (2500X).
This is a big move for Google, one that consumers are sure to welcome. It somewhat frees up your content and makes the Google Play Store even more alluring as the choice for where you make your digital purchases. Clearly this is something Apple will never do with iTunes purchases, so it is a definite extra feather in the cap of the Google marketplace.
For those that think this may be a watered down version of Google Play, of interest is the fact that Google Play Info Cards do work in the Roku channel. It doesn’t look as though it is quite as full-featured as on other devices, but at least the groundwork is there and can be expanded upon down the road.
For anyone signing up with Google Play for the first time, you will receive an HD copy ofX-Men as a thank you gift, but we imagine there won’t be too many new people signing up for accounts.
If you haven’t picked up a Roku yet, it seems you definitely have one more incentive to do so now.
