Samuel Axon
It’s been more than three years since Apple updated the Apple TV 4K, and online speculation about a follow-up hits a fever every time Apple plans a product development event. So far, a new device has not materialized, but the code in the tvOS 14.5 beta may not only indicate that a new Apple TV is on the way, but that it will support 120 Hz playback at 4K.
As first reported by 9to5Mac, tvOS 14.5’s PineBoard (operating system interface manager) includes references to the terms “supports120Hz” and “120Hz”, a not too subtle indication that the operating system will support 120 Hz refresh rate. And since the current Apple TV 4K only has an HDMI 2.0 port, which does not support 4K at 120 Hz (as opposed to the recent HDMI 2.1 standard), it seems that this new Apple TV hardware is on its way as well.
Of course, only a few TVs today support 120 Hz refresh rates – typically top-class gamers’ favorites made over the past two years. Most TVs still focus on 60 Hz. There is currently very little 120 Hz video content available, although enthusiasts speculate that the refresh rate may be a real boon for sports content. However, the new video game consoles launched last year – Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S – support 120 Hz playback, which is preferred by some gamers for certain fast and difficult or competitive games. As the consoles continue to sell, this could increase the demand for 120Hz TVs.
Apple could choose to add 120 Hz capabilities to future Apple TV hardware for three reasons: a faster interface, future-proof video content with a high frame rate that may appear later, and of course games.
The company has become more serious about games in recent times, after considering it as a secondary use case for its devices for years. It recently added dozens of versions of the iPhone and iPad classic versions to Apple Arcade, including microtransaction-driven games adapted to be microtransaction-free. Arcade also has relatively high-profile exclusives, such as Fantastic, the first JRPG from the creator of Final Fantasy in a few years – and possibly his last.
Currently, Apple’s iPad Pro has a 120 Hz screen, but none of the company’s other products. There are rumors that Apple will bring 120 Hz to the iPhone series this year. And as for the Apple TV 4K, a Bloomberg report in December claimed that a refreshing Apple TV with a greater focus on games is expected to launch sometime this year.