5 missing features I can’t believe Apple TV doesn’t have

• Storage for offline video libraries
• A Siri Remote with more and better controls
• Wired audio connections
• A built-in FaceTime camera
• Console-level gaming features

Realistically, it’s hard to complain too much about the Apple TV 4K, no matter which model you own. The 2017 and 2021 models in my house are still going strong, and of course the 2022 model is better still, thanks to HDR10+ support and an A15 chip. You do have to spend extra to get Thread and Ethernet compatibility, but maybe Apple will remedy that with a refresh that’s expected any week now. Thread deserves to be de facto on any modern smart home hub.

I’m looking beyond that refresh, however, to consider features on my long-term wishlist. It’ll be nice to have Wi-Fi 7 on an Apple TV — yet to quote Tom Hardy in Inception, “You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.” At least a couple of these items are actually a throwback to earlier technology, as you’ll see.

Storage for offline video libraries

Back to the future

It might be tough for some of you to remember, but the original Apple TV from 2007 was geared around offline media. Netflix only started streaming in January of that year, so the assumption was that you’d fill the set-top with video downloaded from iTunes. Apple soon realized this wasn’t a plausible strategy, and switched to an all-streaming focus in 2010. To this day, the storage on Apple TVs is reserved for apps, the operating system, and temporary caching — you can’t store any videos permanently, no matter where you get them from.

The obvious advantage of offline support is the ability to watch video at full quality regardless of your current internet bandwidth, or whether you’re online at all. I’m lucky enough to have a 1 gigabit plan, which (normally) makes 4K HDR a breeze. Some people have 200Mbps or less though, and just about any internet connection suffers periodic outages. Try explaining to a young kid that they can’t watch Elio or Cocomelon because a construction worker made a mistake.

Users could have their favorite movies and shows available 24/7 without having to worry about the cloud, or whether a transcoding device is on.

This would also enable functions people in 2007 could only have dreamed of. YouTube TV subscribers could have dozens of hours of 1080p or 4K DVR footage cached and ready to go, like a TiVo on steroids. Plex users could have their favorite movies and shows available 24/7 without having to worry about the cloud, or whether a transcoding device is on.

The drawback to this would be higher storage costs, naturally. 128GB wouldn’t be enough — you’d want 256GB at a minimum, and more likely 512GB or higher. I’m not sure how many beyond the Apple faithful would be willing to pay for the privilege.

A Siri Remote with more and better controls

Where function beats form

Apple is obsessed with simple and attractive designs, often to a fault, as the iPhone Air proves. Its Apple TV remotes are another long-running example. The first remote had just one button beyond its clickpad, and the company didn’t even bother adding volume controls until 2015’s Apple TV HD. The modern Siri Remote is finally enough to get the job done, but just enough — it’s a pale shadow of some Roku remotes, let alone the better universal models.

It’s not hard to think of a few extra buttons we could use, like a shortcut to the Settings app, or the ability to switch audio outputs on the fly without opening Control Center. What I’d like most is two or three programmable app shortcuts — often, the only reason I’m switching on my TV is to watch YouTube, and it would save time to tap a single button that both powers on and brings me straight to the YouTube homescreen. The only other way of achieving that level of convenience is pairing a couple of HomePods for Siri voice commands.

Wired audio connections

A man can dream, can’t he?

Earlier Apple TVs used to support wired audio. In 2015, however, Apple decided this was old-fashioned, and that we’d all be fine with whatever was connected wirelessly or direct to our TVs. To be fair, HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) technology was already available, and you can now set just about any AirPlay output as a wireless default, not just HomePods. Not everyone is in a position to take advantage of these options though, especially if you’re using a monitor or older TV technology.

Case in point: me. The soundbar in my living room is a Sonos Ray, which only offers optical for wired sound, not ARC. Without an optical-equipped media streamer, I have to use my TV remote IR’s blaster for volume control, but that means disabling Bluetooth on the remote every time I power on. I may eventually turn to AirPlay — yet going wired is usually preferable for lag and reliability reasons. Occasionally, the Apple TV in my kitchen will forget about the HomePod minis it’s paired with.

A built-in FaceTime camera

Resurrecting the Portal TV

My family was one of the few, apparently, that bought Meta’s defunct Portal TV. The idea was that you could quickly jump from Netflix to taking a video call on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, complete with a camera that could follow your movements around the room to keep you in frame. It was ultimately defeated by a weak app ecosystem and the absence of trust in Meta — and I can’t blame anyone on those fronts.

Apple doesn’t have those problems, and it’s more convenient than you’d think to take video calls on your TV. You’re not stuck holding a device in your hands. It also makes it easier to include partners and family, or hold an “ambient” conversation, say if you’re working in the kitchen but like the idea of a friend or partner keeping you company.

This is a feature Apple has occasionally been rumored as working on. It doesn’t seem poised to come to a 2025 model, but given that Apple already lets you use an iPhone as an Apple TV camera, it may be inevitable.

Console-level gaming features

A man can dream, can’t he?

While you can potentially treat an Apple TV 4K like a console, let’s be real — Apple doesn’t provide enough support to game developers, or include chips powerful enough to handle the latest games without streaming from the cloud or a secondary device. There isn’t even a first-party game controller, so if you want to use something better than the Siri Remote, you have to buy and pair third-party Bluetooth accessories. When all is said and done, you’ll probably get more value out of a Steam Deck, particularly since PC games go on sale far more often than App Store releases.

There isn’t even a first-party game controller, so if you want to use something better than the Siri Remote, you have to buy and pair third-party Bluetooth accessories.

Honestly, I think Apple has given up on its original ambitions in this area. What’s maddening is how close Apple remains to getting things right, if only its executives could get over long-held prejudices about anything beyond casual mobile games. An upgraded Apple TV wouldn’t be able to compete with a PlayStation 5 Pro, but it might be able to hold its ground against a Switch 2.