Google has released “Android 13”, the latest version of Android TV OS for TVs, which brings further improvements in performance and accessibility to help its developers build engaging apps for next-generation TVs.
According to a Google developers blogpost, the new update comes with new APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for larger screens, which help developers deliver high-quality experiences to users across different device types.
With improvements to the AudioManager API, it allows developers to infer audio attribute support for the active audio device and select the optimal format without starting playback.
For a more reliable playback experience, users can now change the default resolution and refresh rate on supported HDMI source devices.
In addition, Android 13 introduces new features that make interaction with the TV more friendly.
The blogpost states that the InputDevice API now supports multiple keyboard layouts.
To support the different layouts of physical keyboards, game developers may also refer to keys based on their physical location.
A newly created Audio Description API in AccessibilityManager will allow users’ apps to query the new system-wide audio description preference setting, allowing developers to automatically provide audio descriptions tailored to user preferences.
The new release is available for both the ADT-3 (a developer-focused TV box for Android TV) and the Android TV emulator, and developers can choose to test on either the Google TV interface or the standard Android TV interface, the blogpost added.