I’m fed up with Google TV. It’s time for the Windows Streaming Stick

At this point, I’ve tried and tested almost every major streaming platform. I use Google TV On Xiaomi’s TV Box S, I have an Apple TV 4K (which I mostly keep in my mom and dad’s room), and I’ve spent time with Roku and Samsung’s Tizen-based One UI for smart TVs.

That said, at home I use a Sony TV and a Samsung Smart TV with a Xiaomi TV Box S plugged in, so most of my usage still revolves around Android TV and Google TV. It’s not that Google’s platforms are bad or missing key features compared to something like an Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV, but the overall experience hasn’t been great for me.

And the more I’ve experimented with alternatives, sometimes even without meaning to, the more I’ve realized one very simple thing: Google TV just isn’t for me, and the option I’ve landed on is a little unconventional — but it might actually be a better replacement.

Look, I’m not against Google TV or anything. In fact, I think it offers one of the best app ecosystems among streaming platforms, With tons of features like smartphone control and access Free Live Channel.

But I’m the first and certainly not the last to say that the overall experience on Google TV feels irritating and not very optimized. As my colleague Joe Maring said, the platform is full of ads (sponsored content that you see as soon as you turn it on). Furthermore, problems like missing apps and audio glitches forced them to switch from the Google TV streamer to Apple TV 4K.

And it’s not just about the hardware either. Sure, performance may be better on more powerful devices, but most of the problems people have with Google TV come down to the software experience. And honestly, it doesn’t seem like Google is doing enough to improve it. if anything, Platform updates have become quite slow, only major updates are coming every two years.

Compare it to something like the Apple TV 4K, and the difference is pretty obvious. Everything feels smoother, more consistent, and more focused on getting you into apps quickly rather than keeping you stuck on a cluttered home screen. And this is what makes using Android TV frustrating at times.

You might think that the easiest solution is to just switch to Apple TV, right? But this is not so easy. One thing I really appreciate about Android TV is how open it is, and this is something Apple TV doesn’t offer. It’s not very easy to control from an Android phone unless you rely on third-party apps, which are usually loaded with ads.

So I started thinking about alternatives that could give me the same openness and flexibility, but with a smoother, more reliable experience. Ideally, an Android TV replacement should be familiar enough that I don’t have to re-learn everything, and it shouldn’t miss out on key apps or services I regularly use.

And that’s what led me to something I’d used occasionally before, but never really considered as a full-time streaming setup.

In the last few months, I’ve had to connect my Windows laptop to my TV several times, and it made me realize that this is one of the best streaming experiences I’ve had.. And since then, I’ve been wondering why exactly we don’t have a proper Windows-based streaming device yet.

Most streaming services work incredibly well on Windows, especially through a browser like Chrome or Edge. And it is not that you are missing out on apps. Platforms like Apple TV, Disney Plus, Netflix, and even Spotify are easily accessible through apps or browsers on Windows.

And for services that don’t have dedicated apps, their websites are usually well-optimized for desktop use, so you can still access everything without any major compromises. Plus, you still retain the openness that you get with Android TV.

There are little things that make a surprisingly big difference. For example, whenever I’m streaming a live sports match on my phone compared to my desktop, the phone is almost always a few seconds behind. This is mostly because these services use separate servers for mobile apps and desktop platforms. Mobile apps are often optimized for heavy traffic, which can cause slight delays.

However, on desktop, the stream feels much closer to real time, almost like watching a live TV broadcast. And this is something that would make me switch to a proper Windows-based streaming device immediately, because you’re actually getting a live feed instead of something that’s a few seconds behind.

And then there’s the added benefit of the full desktop experience. If you need to take a meeting or run a presentation, you don’t need to rely on castration or workarounds. You can do this directly on the device connected to your TV. This will essentially turn it into a multi-purpose box rather than just a streaming device, and that’s something most platforms still aren’t able to offer.

The main argument against Windows-based streaming devices is obvious. Windows is notorious for requiring quite powerful hardware to run smoothly, so how will it work in a small streaming box? I think there are a few ways Microsoft could approach this.

For starters, ARM-based processors have come a long way. Snapdragon chips are now good enough for lightweight, media-focused use cases. Sure, they can’t quite match x64 systems yet, but for a streaming device, they should be more than capable, with something like the Apple TV 4K running on an ARM chip. Also, Windows 11 on ARM is now in a much better position in terms of both performance and app compatibility. Even Chrome now runs natively on Windows ARM, which is a big deal for a streaming-focused setup.

Then there’s the UI side of things, where it gets really interesting. with Upcoming Windows 11 UpdateMicrosoft is rolling out an Xbox Mode that brings a console-like interface to all Windows devices (not just gaming handhelds).

This Xbox mode offers a simplified, controller-friendly interface that focuses on easy access to apps, games, and your library without the traditional Windows desktop. And that’s exactly the kind of experience a streaming device needs.

I’m not saying there needs to be a focus on gaming here, but Microsoft could easily take the same concept, tweak it for media consumption, and turn it into a proper streaming platform. Keep things simple, focus on apps and the browser and avoid pushing users into a full desktop experience on the TV. Combine this with the remote-friendly interface, and it could fix many of the problems people currently have with streaming devices.

On paper, this sounds like something I’d really want to use. But at the same time, there are no real signs that Microsoft is actively working on a Windows-based streaming device right now. The company clearly has the ability to make something like this – and I really hope it does eventually – because this could ultimately be the option that turns me away from Google TV forever.