Redesigned Google Play Store for Android TV enables easier discovery of apps and games
The latest version streamlines the menu, with better organized categories for finding your current apps and new content. Previously you were given a rather unruly list that could take quite a while to explore.
When you launch the Play Store, the slide-out menu now has four choices: Home, Games, My Apps, and Settings. Each of these selections then pop into a more exhaustive list of categories to scroll through.
Also, other information is more condensed. The full name, publisher, and update button have all been moved to the bottom for each app tile.
Even if you have a Nexus Player that’s scored Android Marshmallow, you still may not yet have the latest version of the Play Store (the situation I found myself in). You’ll just need to wait for update 5.10.30-leanback to show up, or you can sideload the APK yourself.
Why this matters: Android TV doesn’t have anywhere near the momentum as Google’s Chromecast. But that may be because Google is playing the long game: instead of trying to sell millions of units of a low-cost dongle, Android TV is Google’s effort at a standalone platform that appeals to TV manufacturers. Sony, Philips, and Sharp are on board, but Google has considerable foes in the popular Apple TV, Roku, and Fire TV platforms.