Your Apple TV gets these improvements and features with tvOS 16

During WWDC 2022 there was an incredible amount of talk about iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS. Where the latter actually faded into the background a little bit, Apple itself didn’t say a word about tvOS 16. The operating system will be released for the Apple TV later this year.

What improvements can you expect and what functionalities will be added? We’ll list it for you!

Apple TV as a hub for your Smart Home

Your Apple TV can, thanks to HomeKit and the Homeapp, already being used as a hub for your Smart Home. Yet Apple is taking it one step further with tvOS 16. The company provides the device with Matter support. This new standard will be rolled out widely this fall and will allow more devices to be controlled. Think of Amazon Alexa, Google Home and even Samsung SmartThings.

It doesn’t change much, but you can at least control your home in an easier way. Very pleasant in our opinion.

tvOS 16: Support for more controllers

Apple seems to want to focus a little more on gamers. For example, Metal 3 was already announced during WWDC 2022, but now it is clear that tvOS 16 also has its advantages. The biggest advantage is that the Apple TV will support more controllers that can be connected via Bluetooth. Think, for example, of all controllers for the Nintendo Switch. Not only the Joy-Cons but also the Pro controller can be used on the device.

It is not yet known for which controllers there is more support within tvOS 16.

Apple TV gets improved cross-device

Thanks to tvOS 16, it is possible to better integrate the dedicated application with other systems. For example, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS are intended to work better with the Apple TV. The explanation about the functionality remains a little vague, so we’re not sure yet what benefits you can get from it.

Uncertainty about HDR10+

It was rumored for some time that your Apple TV would soon have HDR10+ support. During WWDC 2022, the reference from Apple could also be found, but in the days after the keynote it disappeared. We cannot say at the moment whether the functionality has been omitted or whether it is simply being delayed.

Apple TV with tvOS 16: minor improvements

In addition to the above additions and functionalities, Apple is also making a few small improvements. For example, suggestions for family members can be found within the control panel, there is a Hover Text-function inside Accessibilitydevelopers are getting new SwiftUI elements to use and the video previews have been improved.

Will my Apple TV get the update?

The tvOS 16 update is not very big, but it does provide your Apple TV with a healthy step forward. The system is currently in beta and will be available to all consumers with a supported model in the fall of this year. These include the fourth-generation, HD version, 4K version and second-generation Apple TV 4K.