First-gen Chromecast users will need to upgrade after Google ends support

Google has ended quietly support for your first generation Chromecastculminating a career of almost a decade and forcing its still users to update their device to stream content.

If you refer to the firmware release notes in the chromecast help websiteas detected TechRadar, you will notice that the last update was on April 27th. It’s been a while since the company pulled the plug on support, but no one noticed until very recently.

At the bottom of that page, you’ll see a notice that older Chromecasts “will no longer receive software or security updates” nor will Google provide any “technical support.” Because there will be no more patches in the future, people “may notice a performance degradation” over time, though some would argue that the drop in quality has been around for a while.

Various user comments on the chromecast subreddit, for example, they mention how they haven’t used their devices in years because of how slow it got. It’s worth noting that the last major firmware patch for the original Chromecast was in November 2022, which “itself was the first update in over three years,” according to 9to5 Google.

The best way to update your Chromecast

If you still want a Chromecast, there are several options available. You can buy the 3rd generation Chromecast from 2018 to give your TV access to various streaming platforms like Netflix in 1080p resolution (1920×1080 pixels).

Prices for the latest model average around $40, so it’s gone up from its initial cost at launch, but it’s still pretty cheap.

It is also recommended the Chromecast with Google TV, slightly more expensive, which supports 4K resolution, as well as Dolby Vision and HDR10 Plus formats to ensure optimal transmission.