Google officially unveiled a major upgrade to Gemini on the Google TV platform at CES 2026. This update isn’t just a simple replacement for the retired Google Assistant, but rather a comprehensive leap in capabilities. Gemini is no longer just a voice assistant that answers simple questions—it can now understand more complex, natural language and is deeply optimized for TV usage scenarios. For users accustomed to voice-searching shows, querying information, or adjusting settings in their living room, this upgrade represents a more intuitive, human-like interaction experience.
Gemini is bringing voice control to Google TV settings
Previously, Google Assistant on TV could mostly only handle basic commands like playing a movie, opening an app, or answering simple factual questions. However, Gemini’s language understanding capabilities allow users to make more contextual, everyday language requests. For example, you can ask it, “Which medical drama has everyone been talking about lately?” or “Find me some shows that have both comedy and drama elements.” This kind of cross-genre query with preference conditions was often difficult for the previous assistant to respond to accurately, but Gemini can reason semantically to provide results that better match expectations.
Google also revealed at CES that they’re building a brand new “visually rich framework” for the TV platform. The goal of this framework is to enable Gemini’s responses to go beyond just text or voice, presenting information in a more immersive way. When you ask about the background of a movie, a list of works by an actor, or the latest score of a sports game, Gemini will be able to respond with images, video clips, real-time information cards, and other multimedia formats. This type of response is not only more intuitive, but also better suited to TV as a large-screen display.
Additionally, Google introduced a new feature called “Deep Dive.” When users are interested in a topic, such as behind-the-scenes footage of a movie, a director’s creative style, or the cultural background of a travel destination, they can simply tap the “Deep Dive” button in the query screen and Gemini will generate an interactive overview with narration. This presentation is somewhat like bringing a mini documentary directly to your TV, with content organized visually and suitable for the whole family to watch together. Google says the goal of this feature is to make information exploration easier and more entertaining, rather than requiring page-by-page reading like traditional search. Beyond upgrades to content search and information presentation, Gemini also makes managing Google TV settings simpler. In the past, adjusting settings like brightness, contrast, and sound modes often required users to navigate multiple layers of menus, which was quite cumbersome for those unfamiliar with TV settings. Google says that in the future, users can simply tell Gemini “the screen is too dark” or “I can’t hear the dialogue clearly,” and the system will automatically detect and adjust the relevant settings without interrupting what’s currently playing. This natural language-driven approach to settings makes TV operation more intuitive and reduces the chance of users getting lost in menus.
Another notable upgrade is the deep integration of Gemini with Google Photos. Users can now search their photo albums by voice directly on the TV, finding people, events, or specific moments—for example, “Find photos from our trip to Okinawa last year” or “Show Mom’s birthday party.” More interestingly, Gemini can also use Google Photos’ popular Photo Remix feature to apply different artistic styles to photos. This means family members can create photos together in the living room, transforming everyday pictures into illustrations, oil paintings, comic styles, and even reinterpreting family vacation or holiday photos to make memories more creative. Google also emphasizes that Gemini can help users automatically organize photos and videos into movie-like slideshows and play them directly on the TV. This is a very practical feature for those who enjoy sharing memories at family gatherings. No manual editing, no additional apps needed—just tell Gemini what theme you want to present, and it automatically generates a memory video with rhythm, music, and visual effects.
Furthermore, Google also demonstrated Gemini’s capabilities in creative media. Users can reimagine personal photos on Google TV using Gemini, and even create entirely new images or videos through generative tools like Nano Banana and Veo. This means the TV is no longer just a device for passive content playback, but becomes part of the creation platform. For users who enjoy creating, sharing, or experimenting with new media forms, this opens up entirely new possibilities.
In summary, Gemini’s upgrade on Google TV isn’t just about adding features—it’s redefining how TVs and smart assistants interact. From content search and information display to settings adjustment, photo management, and creative generation, Gemini makes TVs smarter, more intuitive, and more closely aligned with the core of home entertainment. As Gemini expands to more platforms in the future, we may see the role of TVs in home life reshaped once again, transforming from simple playback devices into true smart home hubs.
Source: KOCPC Chinese