Google Lowers RAM Requirement for Android TV to 1GB but Raises Baseline for Google TV

Google is working on “optimisations” for making the Android TV experience better.

Highlights

• Android TV OS is reported to now require 1GB of RAM
• Output in 4K resolution is still said to demand 1.5GB of RAM
• Changes have also been made to RAM requirement for Google TV

Google is making a host of requirement changes with regards to the Android TV and Google TV operating systems (OS), according to a report. It is said to have lowered the minimum RAM requirement for running Android TV — the OS which is usually adopted by low-end TVs and streaming devices. Meanwhile, the baseline RAM for Google TV OS has been raised in an attempt to ensure a better quality experience.

Google Makes Changes to RAM Requirements

According to an Android Authority report, Google has submitted changes to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) to lower the RAM requirement for TVs and streaming devices powered by the Android TV OS. Devices will now be required to have just 1GB of RAM, compared to the previous demand of 1.5GB.

Citing sources, the report adds that the Mountain View-based tech giant is working on “optimisations” for making the experience better while dealing with minimal memory. This move is speculated to be in favour of running the Android TV 14 OS on low-end devices which are offered as affordable streaming solutions in the TV market. Devices with 1GB of RAM would support 1080p output capability while 4K output would still require 1.5GB of memory, as per the report.

Meanwhile, another change has been submitted for Google TV — the more polished OS for higher-end devices. The minimum RAM requirement for running the OS has been raised from 1.5GB to 2GB. Mid-range streaming devices in the market such as the Chromecast (4K) and TVs from brands like Hisense and TCL also usually come with adequate RAM to run the OS.

Notably, Google's latest device, the Google TV Streamer (4K) already comes with 4GB of RAM. However, the report speculates that a change in the baseline requirement isn't likely to have an impact on the overall performance of the TVs.

This development comes after it was reported that Google might skip out Android TV 14 for smart TVs and would directly release Android TV 16 in 2026.