Google Announcing Gaming Hardware For Yeti Streaming Service In October?

Google could possibly be announcing a gaming device during its hardware event this coming October. It has now been revealed that the Mountain View giant is working on gaming hardware for its rumored “Yeti” game streaming service.

Late last week, Kotaku disclosed that it has heard of rumors claiming Google has an upcoming hardware that will link up to its upcoming streaming service. There is no word, however, if the device will come with premium specs or if it’s going to be a low-end console that will rely on the streaming service to attract consumers.

For the most part, it’s very likely for Google’s new gaming hardware to be a low-end device. Streaming games doesn’t require powerful hardware after all. There are speculations saying existing Chromecast models could even be updated to work with Google’s new game streaming service.

Since Google usually hosts a hardware event every October, it’s possible that the search engine giant will announce the gaming machine later this year. If not, then the company could still be taking its time in making the device and could simply announce it next year. Google didn’t respond to request for comment, so it’s hard to tell which is which.

Because the success of a gaming platform relies on the games available for it, Google is currently in talks with major developers and publishers. The company could also be considering buying gaming studios outright, according to Android Police.

At the Game Developers Conference this past March, Google representatives met and spoke with several big video game companies to check their interest in its upcoming streaming service. People familiar with Google’s plans shared that the tech giant is not just wooing game developers for its Yeti service, but also thinking of buying development studios entirely.

The rumors that Google was developing a game streaming service started earlier this year because of a report published by The Information. Sources say it will be very similar to Nvidia GeForce NOW and other platforms that allow users to play modern games on low-end devices since the rendering is done by off-site servers.

Sources also claim that Google has a three-pronged approach for its video game venture, which revolves around a streaming service, new hardware and an attempt to gather game developers under its umbrella. All three could possibly reach fruition soon since Google has been exploring video game initiatives for almost a decade now.