Back at CES 2017, Google promised the Google Assistant will soon make its way to the Android TV platform. Well after months of waiting (CES took place in January), the feature is finally rolling out, first for the NVIDIA SHIELD TV, but Sony Bravia TVs with Android TV will also be getting it in the upcoming months.
Having the Assistant live and listening on your NVIDIA SHIELD TV means that you’ll be able to do things like play content, discover content, get answers, set the mood or get ready for your day by using voice commands directed towards your Android TV.
To summon Google’s AI-infused virtual helper on your SHIELD TV you can either press the microphone button on the remote or just say “OK Google” from within shouting distance of the SHIELD controller.
Google Assistant on SHIELD TV is basically Google Voice Search on steroids, coming with a cleaner, more intuitive visual design, but also more features.
So you’ll also be able to cast audio to the Google Home or other Google Cast speakers, as well as play content directly from Netflix, HBO and more.
In order to celebrate the arrival of the Google Assistant on Android TV, NVIDIA SHIELD TV owners will be given a free three-month YouTube Red trial, so they can watch ad-free videos and play all the music they want.
The Assistant comes with the SHIELD 6.0 software update which is currently available for download on SHIELD TV devices.
