Google TV update will support Wii-like pointer remotes

Ben Schoon | May 19 2026 - 11:30 am PT

At Google I/O 2026, a new focus on pointer remotes – like a Wii remote – is being announced for Google TV, with a push to update apps and the homescreen with support.

In a developer blog post published during I/O 2026, Google details the focus for the future of Google TV. That, of course, includes Gemini, with Google highlighting recent improvements and hinting at more in the pipeline, but the bigger change is to input.

Google says that a “shift” is coming to remotes used with Google TV, with “pointer remotes” that support motion-controlled input being a focus. Like Nintendo’s “Wii-mote,” this allows the user to point their remote at the screen and see a cursor appear on the display.

Google explains:

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Pointer remotes bring motion-controlled input to the big screen, unlocking faster user navigation across the Google TV Home page and within content-heavy apps. To ensure your app is ready for this shift and provides a great experience for all users, now is the time to start thinking about pointing input.

These sorts of remotes are technically already supported in Google TV (and Android TV) already, but as a standard mouse input. Google shows a new UI where a circular cursor appears and can interact with what’s on screen.

With this in mind, future Google TV updates will include “hover states, scrollable containers, and cursor clicks” for Google TV Home and apps on the platform. “Hover states” will see elements of the UI react to the cursor hovering above that element, while scrollable containers will react to pointer remotes that also have a touchpad for swipe gestures. Finally, cursor clicks will react to touchpads as well, instead of just supporting the existing “Okay” button on a typical remote D-Pad.

Google recommends that developers test this with mouse input, but notes that the Wii-like pointer input will be less precise. Once apps have been updated to support pointer input, metadata can be added to make the app tell Google Play about this support.

Google hasn’t directly mentioned whether or not Google TV is getting a new Android version, but it’s about that time. Stay tuned…