Google brings Android TV Launcher to the Play Store

The Android TV Launcher. Photo: Google

The Android TV Launcher. Photo: Google

Google’s new Android TV Launcher is now available through the Play Store, allowing the search giant to deliver new features and improvements more easily. That doesn’t mean you’ll be able to download and install it on unsupported devices, though.

The Android TV platform is still in its infancy, which means there are still features that are missing and teething problems that need ironing out. By bringing the Android TV Launcher to the Play Store, Google can update and improve it as frequently as it needs to — without having to bake its changes into larger and less frequent system updates.

Many of Google’s partners have been doing the same; smartphone makers like HTC and Motorola are now making many of their own apps available through Google Play so that they can be updated individually. It means problems with individual apps are easier to address, and users don’t have to wait as long to get their hands on new features.

Of course, the Android TV Launcher is only compatible with Android TV devices, which currently means the Nexus Player and the ADT-1. If you have a third-party set-top box that runs the regular Android OS, then, or an old Google TV, you won’t be able to use this on those devices, unfortunately.