After 6 years, it looks like Google’s original Chromecast has reached end of life

In technology, all good things must come to an end, and in the consumer technology space, the time between releasing a product and it being cut off from future software updates can be all too short. Some devices last less than a year before being left abandoned on the digital roadside. Others, like the original Chromecast, are supported for years, and after release in 2013, it’s time to say goodbye.

According to a Google support page unearthed by 9to5Google, it seems that Google has ended update support for the original Chromecast streaming stick. When compared to all other models of the Chromecast, it has been ‘left behind’ on an older firmware version meaning that it’s unlikely to get any future updates.

What does this mean for owners of the original stick? Likely nothing in the short term, but as time marches forward and the compatibility with the now frozen-in-time firmware erodes, we expect the new features that may emerge for Cast will not roll out to the device and eventually it will simply stop working.

Google has committed (at least in the short term) to continue to support the device for security and bug fixes, but the base underlying Chome build that Chromecast is built on top of will not be upgraded going forward.

For a cheap consumer electronics device to have lasted 6 years is actually a good deal; we’re not too cross at Google leaving the OG Cast behind. It’s served many happy customers well for many years.