Google TV Gets Gemini Voice Controls at CES 2026

At CES 2026, Google previewed a big Gemini for Google TV upgrade that changes what Google TV is trying to be. It’s no longer just an app launcher with recommendations. Google is pitching it as a living-room AI assistant, one that can help on a big screen, in plain language, without you digging through menus.

And Google is clearly aiming at a universal pain point: your TV settings.

Gemini fixes your TV settings (so you don’t have to) This is the killer feature because it solves the problem everyone has but nobody enjoys admitting: most people don’t know where the “right” picture and sound settings live, and even if they do, they don’t want to hunt for them mid-show.

Google says Gemini on Google TV will let you use natural prompts like “the screen is too dim” or “the dialogue is lost,” and have the TV adjust picture or audio settings automatically. That’s the kind of “AI” upgrade normal people actually notice, because it saves time immediately—and it’s exactly the sort of query people search for when HDR looks wrong or motion smoothing ruins a game.

It’s also a subtle strategy shift. Google isn’t just adding a smarter assistant. It’s trying to remove friction from the most annoying parts of a modern smart TV experience—menus, submenus, and settings that feel like a small puzzle box.

What else Gemini is bringing to Google TV

The settings control is the headline, but Google’s CES preview also shows where it wants Gemini to go next on TV: more visual answers, more interaction, and more personal context.

This upgrade also effectively positions Gemini to replace the legacy Google Assistant for voice commands on Google TV, as the main “talk to your TV” layer shifts to Gemini’s conversational interface and controls.

Google says Gemini responses will become more big-screen friendly, with richer visual elements and context. It’s also introducing what it calls “deep dives,” a more guided, narrated explainer-style experience meant to work in lean-back mode, where you want the answer without bouncing to your phone.

Then there’s the personal layer. Google is folding in Google Photos search on TV, and multiple reports highlight AI-powered photo remixing using Google’s creative tooling. The Verge reported, Google is also integrating its newest creative models, Nano Banana (AI image generation and photo editing) and Veo (AI video generation), so you can reimagine personal photos or create original media directly on the TV.

All of it points to the same idea: Gemini on Google TV is meant to be a shared household surface, the screen everyone can use, not just a personal assistant tucked inside one person’s phone.

Will my TV get it? Here’s the direct checklist Google’s rollout is real-world and hardware-dependent, so readers want a fast yes/no scan. Here it is:

Requires: Android TV OS 14 or higher

First devices: Select TCL Google TV models

Expands next: Other Google TV devices over the coming months

Also needed: A Google account + internet connection (and not all countries/languages/devices supported at launch)

That checklist is important because it sets expectations. This isn’t a “flip a switch for every TV” moment. It’s a staged rollout, starting where Google and partners can guarantee the experience feels fast and reliable.

Why this matters: Google TV is turning into a platform

If you want the deeper “why,” it’s this: Google isn’t treating Google TV as a static interface anymore. It’s treating it as a platform where major capabilities arrive through software, partnerships, and ecosystem expansion.

Two CES signals make that clear. First, Google explicitly framed Gemini’s expansion as reaching “more brands and surfaces like projectors,” and Epson put real hardware behind it. Epson says its Lifestudio projector line will integrate Google TV with Gemini, starting with the Lifestudio Grand “in the coming months,” with additional models planned through 2026.

This is Google pushing Gemini beyond TVs and into whatever the “living room screen” becomes. Second, TCL confirmed Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming is coming to Google TV (starting with TCL sets) via an update. That’s not directly a Gemini feature, but it reinforces the same platform story: Google TV is becoming the layer where new experiences land, not just where apps sit.