Android TV comes with snazzy black game controller in the box

Android TV controller
The Android TV controller nestled in its box

Google said during its Google IO conference this week that its Android TV set-top box would be great for Android gaming, but it wasn't clear how much the company would focus on that.

Maybe that's because Google failed to mention that Android TV will reportedly ship with a snazzy black game controller right in the box.

Images of the Android TV controller first appeared on Reddit, where a user claimed to have found the below render hidden deep within files for Android L's development kit.

We would have taken that with a grain of salt had the controller not popped up again in the Google+ feed of Android Police's Artem Russakovskii - this time with an actual photo.

android tv controller

Nothing revolutionary here (credit: Reddit/ bedofgoatturds)

Needs some work

Russakovskii apparently snapped a photo of the controller in the Android TV box, adding on the Google social network that the two will ship as one.

The Android TV controller features four face buttons, two analog inputs, a directional pad, at least two shoulder buttons, and Android navigation buttons - a home button, a back button and circle button.

However given the reveal of Android L's new home button - which sports a circle - this does pose a pretty glaring inconsistency in that the Android TV controller appears to sport both the old home button and the new one.

For that reason alone here's hoping this isn't the final design.

Michael Rougeau

Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.


Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.