The Google Assistant comes to Android TV, starting with the Nvidia Shield

The Google Assistant is rolling out to one more form factor, as Google announced today that Android TV is finally getting its flagship voice command system.

For now, it's only on one device, the Nvidia Shield TV, but Google has said it's also coming to the Sony Bravia TV line in "the coming months." If you're wondering why the service isn't debuting on a Google-made Android TV device, it's because one doesn't exist. Since the end of the Nexus Player's run in 2016, Google hasn't offered a first-party Android TV device.

Voice commands are handled from the remote, which has a microphone built in. Users can either press the mic button and issue a command or just say "OK Google" while the box is on. On Android TV, the Google Assistant specializes in navigation and content searching. You can ask it to play shows by name, and as long as you're subscribed to the right content providers, the shows will just play. There are general remote control commands like "pause" and "unpause," and you also get access to the full suite of other Google Assistant commands, like controlling smart home devices (great for turning off the lights before a movie), asking questions, and accessing third-party voice apps.

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