The Android TV platform is an adaptation of the Android OS for set-top boxes and as integrated software on
smart TV hardware. It supports media, games, and apps from
Google Play, although not all Google Play apps are compatible with Android TV. Some Android TV devices, such as the
Nvidia Shield and Razer Forge TV, are also marketed as
microconsoles and are bundled with a Bluetooth wireless gamepad.
The Verge characterized Android TV with leveraging Google's
Knowledge Graph project;
Chromecast compatibility; a larger emphasis on search; closer ties to the
Android ecosystem including
Google Play and
Android Wear; and native support for
video games,
Bluetooth gamepads, and the
Google Play Games framework. Subsequent releases of Android TV brought new features to the operating system, such as camera support (with Android TV 9), auto low-latency mode for gaming (with Android TV 11),
4K UI,
refresh rate switching and text scaling (with Android TV 12). A special certification, called Android TV "Operator Tier", is available for pay television and other service operators allowing them to customize the home screen; manage
UI as well as available apps, content or services on the Android TV devices that they provide to their subscribers; thus, differentiating from other operators and devices running Android TV as well. By May 2022, Android TV has over 10,000 compatible apps available on the Play Store, up from the 6,500 available at launch. == History ==