Remember the time Apple decided to make 5 different operating systems. Well, it maybe down to 4 now. tvOS, the operating system that everyone loves so much may no longer exist. If you head over to Apple.com, there is almost no reference to tvOS anymore. There was no mention of tvOS during WWDC this year, even though new features were announced. When I mean new features, it’s basically additional screensavers and support for SharePlay.
tvOS as a platform hasn’t been that great, just like watchOS. But I really do wonder, what is the reason for tvOS or Apple TV (the box) to exist? Is it as a HomeKit hub, or is it for Apple TV+? It definitely cannot be Apple Arcade, and neither Fitness+. Airplay* works great for pretty much all media apps (Apple music, TV+, Apple Podcasts, Photos) and is supported by Fitness+ too. Most new TVs and speakers support Airplay 2 right out of the box. Apple Arcade on Apple TV surely is not a big deal for Apple in any measure. The selection of games on arcade is mediocre at best. As for HomeKit, iOS and HomePod already support everything that you can think of. HomePod works as a home hub that can relay HomeKit commands.
I do wonder, is tvOS or Apple TV (the box) really worth Apple’s time? All Apple apps/services (and most 3rd party too) support Airplay. The gaming aspect of tvOS is mediocre at best. Apple should invest more into making better HomePods (maybe with a screen) that have a screen and FaceTime built in.
*One shortcoming of AirPlay, I don’t think it supports Dolby Vision or even HDR10. It does support Dolby Atmos though.
