WWDC 2019: Apple Yet Again Pushes for the Big Screen With tvOS 13

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posted on 5 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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The new tvOS 13 update is going to bring a new Home screen layout, multi-user support, support for gaming controllers, and more.

After announcing a revamp for the Apple TV and TV+ service earlier in the year, Apple has announced an overhaul for tvOS. Yesterday at the WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) 2019 keynote, the company announced tvOS 13 for Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K devices. The new update brings a new Home screen along with multi-user support, controller support and more.

The new Home screen on tvOS 13, according to Apple, is "designed for discovery." All apps on the platform will now be able to play full-screen video previews instead of showcasing still images, very similar to Netflix and other streaming platforms. More importantly, there is now support for multiple user profiles on the new Apple TV Control Center. This is a great addition as different family members or users can now seamlessly switch between accounts and get custom recommendations depending on who is using it. So every individual family member is going to get their own Up Next list, see TV and movie recommendations based on what they like, and get custom curated suggestions in Apple Music.

Speaking of which, Apple Music on tvOS 13 will now take advantage of multi-user support, and apart from offering personalised playlists and recommendations, the new Control Center will give access to the song that is currently playing. Users will also be able to get onscreen lyrics synced with their tracks.

The new tvOS 13 update is also adding support for the Xbox One S and PlayStation DualShock 4 controllers to enhance the gaming experience. The reason why Apple has added support for the controllers is that the new Apple Arcade service will be making its way to tvOS this fall.

The last notable feature is new 4K HDR screenavers for the Apple TV 4K. According to Apple, these were filmed in collaboration with the BBC Natural History Unit and are focused on underwater locations and showcase the depths of the oceans around the world.

tvOS 13 is currently available for Apple Developer Program members. The first public beta of the software is expected to arrive later in June while the stable tvOS 13 update for all consumers will be rolled out by fall.