Just a few days ago, we posted about Nest Audio (and other Google-made smart speakers, hopefully) possibly getting the ability to be used in a home theater setup via the cast protocol. Based on some leaked, unused marketing info, it seems Google has been considering a setup that would allow users to add smart speakers to a speaker group and then set them as the default output for a Chromecast, essentially delivering a home theater setup that is completely wireless.
While this was merely conjecture and sound logic before, it seems that Google has made its plans clear to the Wall Street Journal as a part of their smart speaker roundup/versus article. According to 9to5 Google, in the body of the Wall Street Journal article (WSJ is covered under a paywall), there is statement from Google that the company is “working on Nest Audio Chromecast integration.” Left out of this detail from Google is whether or not other Google speakers will get this same treatment and whether or not we’re talking about multi-speaker setups or only simple stereo pairing.
Additionally, it isn’t clear if this will apply to the new Chromecast only or if older Chromecasts like the Gen 3 and Ultra – still being used by millions of consumers – will be included. While we can’t know when this new feature may arrive, it seems from the earlier post that this has been a consideration since the launch of the Nest Audio, so we may not be too far off. With the smart speaker race really heating up in the next few months, it would be a good idea for Google to at least get stereo pairing with the Chromecast out the door in one way or another to further appeal to users considering devices like the Apple Homepod Mini or the new Amazon Echo.
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