A few years ago, it’s a rare thing to have Apple apps work on non-Apple devices but they’ve relaxed on that count the past couple of years. One thing where they’re still not that widely available is smart TVs that are not powered by the Apple TV device. But if you have a newer Sony smart TV, you will now be able to stream your favorite Apple TV+ series as well as the movies and TV shows that you’ve bought on their platform. That’s because Sony has started rolling out the Apple TV app on selected devices.
Sony has actually brought the Apple TV app to its XH90 model last October 2020 and it’s also rolling it out now through a firmware update to all of its 2020 models, most 2019 models (except AG8, XG83, XG81 and XG80), and two of its 2018 models (AF9/A9F and ZF9/Z9F). This means you’ll be able to stream all Apple TV+ shows on your smart TV if you have a subscription of course. You’ll also be able to stream your full iTunes movie library even the 4K HDR ones.
The Sony firmware update version 6.4960 also has some improvements aside from support for the Apple TV app. There’s also an improved user interface for some of the items like TV and notifications menu, recorded title list, and other minor items. There’s extended support for voice commands, a way to limit viewing time for kids through parental controls, automatic addition of frequently used apps/settings, and other improvements.
Sony smart TVs aren’t the first and only devices to carry the Apple TV app. It’s also available on selected devices from LG, Samsung, Amazon Fire, Vizio, and Roku TVs. The question of whether Android TV or Google TV now will add a native Apple TV app is still something that’s still up in the air. It will be a good thing for consumers now as a lot are now platform and device agnostic so having streaming services available everywhere is a treat.
For now though, at least for Sony owners with compatible devices, you’ll be able to enjoy having Apple TV on your smart TVs. Sony also says the app actually supports 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos on compatible devices, as per Flat Panels HD.
