Google has turned its $100 streaming box into a $150 purchase, making the Google TV Streamer the latest piece of consumer tech caught in the rising cost of hardware.<\/p>\n
The Google TV Streamer now sells for $149.99 at the Google Store and Best Buy, up from its $99.99 launch price in 2024. The device replaced Chromecast and has generally been positioned as Google\u2019s higher-end streaming option.<\/p>\n
Amazon and some other retailers were still listing the 4K streamer for around $100 as of Aug. 31, meaning shoppers may have a brief chance to buy existing inventory at the old price.<\/p>\n
Google did not announce the increase ahead of time. In a statement to 9to5Google<\/a>, the company said: \u201cDue to rising component costs, we are adjusting the U.S. pricing of select Google Nest cameras<\/a>, doorbells and Google TV streamer 4K, effective August 31.\u201d Google added that it remains committed to providing \u201cindustry-leading smart home security and continuous feature updates.\u201d<\/p>\n The $150 price changes the competition<\/p>\n At $100, the Google TV Streamer was an easy recommendation for buyers who wanted Google\u2019s TV platform with more storage and memory than older Chromecast hardware. At $150, the calculation is less straightforward.<\/p>\n The 2024 Roku<\/a> Ultra is also priced at $149.99 and supports 4K at 60 frames per second, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos and Wi-Fi 6. The Google TV Streamer supports the same major video and audio formats but uses Wi-Fi 5. It counters with 32GB of storage, 4GB of RAM and built-in Matter and Thread support for smart-home devices.<\/p>\n Amazon\u2019s Fire TV Cube costs more at $200 but adds built-in microphones for Alexa and Wi-Fi 6E, along with tighter integration with Amazon\u2019s smart-home ecosystem. Meanwhile, Walmart\u2019s Onn 4K Pro costs about $60 and runs Google TV with 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM.<\/p>\n More Google coverage<\/p>\n Why the increase matters<\/p>\n Google says component costs are behind the change, while several reports point to rising memory prices as a possible factor. The Streamer contains 4GB of RAM, making rising memory prices one possible contributor, although Google has blamed component costs broadly rather than RAM specifically.<\/p>\n The move also comes as other streaming hardware becomes more expensive. Amazon recently raised the Fire TV Stick 4K Max to $84.99<\/a>, while Apple\u2019s Apple TV 4K now starts at $199 for the 64GB model.<\/p>\n The Streamer is part of a wider round of Google hardware increases. According to 9to5Google<\/a>, Google also raised prices by $20 to $50 on five Nest products: three cameras and two doorbells.<\/p>\n The changes took effect Aug. 31, suggesting the Streamer\u2019s price increase is less about a product refresh and more about Google\u2019s response to higher component costs. For shoppers, remaining $100 inventory may still offer strong value. At $149.99, however, buyers should compare the Streamer\u2019s Google TV and smart-home features against the Roku Ultra\u2019s Wi-Fi 6 and premium remote before purchasing.<\/p>\n