In a rather quiet announcement made back in April, Google has officially ceased support for the first-generation Chromecast, bringing an end to its remarkable journey, as reported by 9to5Google. Introduced in 2013, the Chromecast quickly became a game-changing device, offering a Smart TV experience at an affordable price of $35. Over the years, Google continuously upgraded the hardware of the initial Chromecast to meet the evolving demands of streaming. However, it has now made the decision to bid farewell to this beloved device.

Google made the official statement on Chromecast’s information hub, stating, “Support for Chromecast (1st gen) has ended, which means these devices no longer receive software or security updates, and Google does not provide technical support for them. Users may notice a degradation in performance.” This announcement went largely unnoticed for some time, as Google last updated the Chromecast support page in April.

From Google’s perspective, the decision to discontinue support for the 10-year-old Chromecast original has been a long time coming. Since 2019, the company has focused solely on addressing bug and security issues for the first-generation model, neglecting significant updates. The most recent update, released in November 2022, was the first in three years. In the meantime, Google has released newer versions of Chromecast, including the more affordable $30 Chromecast with Google TV (HD) and the $50 4K model.

For loyal users of the first-generation Chromecast, the options are limited. It is advisable to ensure that the device is fully updated and optimized, but beyond that, it becomes a matter of hoping for the best. With the end of support, Google has closed the chapter on this pioneering streaming device, leaving users to explore newer alternatives available in the market.