Google has quietly stopped supporting the ten-year-old Chromecast

(Image credit- 9to5 Google) Almost ten years after the $35 streaming stick's launch in 2013, Google has discontinued support for the original Chromecast. On various Google support pages, a statement declaring the end of assistance has appeared. A support page that lists the firmware versions for each Chromecast model indicates that the end of support occurred at the end of April. The remaining first-generation Chromecasts don't appear to quit functioning right away, but over time as the environment surrounding them changes and evolves, it's possible that their usefulness will gradually deteriorate. At the time, it was an affordable workaround. A little, a surprisingly well-liked gadget the size of a key, the first Chromecast allowed you to stream video from your phone, tablet, or laptop to your TV via an HDMI connector. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="875"] Image credit- Engadget[/caption] In an era when many consumers had not yet made the switch to smart TVs, it was an affordable workaround for putting video streaming apps onto your TV, costing only $35. Over the years, Google would go on to create a number of other Chromecasts, including a 4K variant in 2016. The 2020 Chromecast with Google TV, however, brought its own controller into the mix. The streaming stick marked a significant change in the Chromecast series because it featured its own UI instead of only receiving video from your smartphone. Also read: Google Chromecast with Google TV (HD) now costs $10 less, and the 4K version is also less expensive Although Google has officially stopped supporting the first-generation Chromecast, the gadget hasn't exactly received regular updates. According to Google, the device's most recent update, which was also the first to be provided for it in more than three years, was made available last November.