Apple forgot to mention one of the biggest upgrades included in tvOS 26

Another Apple conference has come and gone, and if you’re an Apple fan, I find it difficult to find too much to be upset about. The Liquid Glass display looks great, and although it isn’t coming to my first-gen Apple TV 4K, it’s something I look forward to once I finally make an upgrade. Aside from that, the presentation consisted of small upgrades that make the viewing experience better, but there was nothing really game-changing from what I could see.

As a matter of fact, the biggest thing to come out of the event wasn’t even talked about. As part of the upcoming tvOS 26 update, Apple revealed that audio passthrough is becoming a reality. This information didn’t come from Apple making a big announcement, but instead, it was found in the release notes for the new tvOS version. This is something many owners have been clamoring for, so it’s surprising to see Apple not make a big deal about it.

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Audiio passthrough doesn’t mean much to people who watch shows or movies using their TV audio — something you really shouldn’t be doing in 2025. If you have a proper audio system or even a soundbar, then audio passthrough is important. As you know, or might not know, the Apple TV 4K doesn’t allow passthrough, and it instead decodes all the audio going through it. This is fine for a lot of people, especially if most of what you watch has Dolby Atmos audio. The Apple TV 4K handles that just fine, but there are other audio formats it can’t handle. The result is that much of what I watch on streaming services comes through on my receiver reading as “Multi-In” which means the Apple TV doesn’t officially support the audio format, and it’s ridiculous.

The sound still comes through, but it’s not as good as it should be because it’s in a format that’s not recognized. Many other streamers allow for audio passthrough, including the cheaper Roku Ultra. Having this ensures what you’re hearing is in the best format it can be in, provided your audio system can handle it. As somebody who has invested a fair amount in my setup, it’s painful to see the Apple TV 4K often not even utilize it. I’m not alone in feeling this way, and it’s been number one on the wishlist of future Apple TV features for many people.

After all this time, it seems like Apple has finally heard the pleas from owners. I don’t understand why a bigger deal wasn’t made out of it, but I’m glad it’s happening. This unified update scheme from Apple is good news for not only Apple TV owners, but also owners of other Apple products. It sounds like audio passthrough is coming to everything Apple manufactures, including watchOS of all things. I’m not sure what an Apple Watch owner needs that for, but if that’s part of the reason it’s soon to be available on Apple TV, I won’t complain. The way I see it is that this is a net win for everybody. It helps put the Apple TV 4K further ahead in the best streaming box race, and I don’t know how other companies can catch up unless Apple shoots itself in the foot.

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I have my fingers crossed that my first-gen Apple TV 4K gets access to audio passthrough, but with Apple’s track record, I can’t fully guarantee it. My device doesn’t have the Snoopy backgrounds, differing aspect ratios, and it won’t get Liquid Glass. While these are excellent reasons to upgrade, I don’t see why Apple isn’t sharing the love. We’re talking about Snoopy backgrounds being locked behind certain models, and I just can’t understand what the reason is for that.

Audio passthrough doesn’t seem like something that would require a hardware update, but I can’t rule it out. Apple has largely been locking out the first-gen Apple TV 4K, and the second-gen has missed out on features as of late. It makes sense for Apple to push its newest products, but the omissions have been head-scratching. It’s very easy to envision audio passthrough passing up my model because that’s the way Apple has been operating.

A new Apple TV 4K is rumored to be on the horizon, and it’s something I’ve been looking forward to. I’m well aware my model is approaching a decade old, and while it still works, I’d like to get excited about these Apple conferences by knowing my device is still getting updates. I’m still getting tvOS 26, but it’s not coming with any of the cool stuff. I’m going to keep using it until it finally gives out, but it’d be nice if I could do that in a spare bedroom instead of in my living room. I want something that has all the high-end bells and whistles in my living room, and that’s going to be the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K if Apple ever decides to announce it.

My only wish is that there’s not enough price increase. The Apple TV 4K is already the most expensive streaming box on the market by a decent margin, so going up even higher could be very detrimental. While I like what the Apple TV 4K has to offer, the reality is that not everybody is willing to pay over $100 for a streaming box. I imagine some people get the same value out of a Roku Streaming Stick as they do with an expensive box. A lower price or even an Apple streaming stick could help Apple gain some market share, but I’m getting ahead of myself at the moment.

We’re now halfway through the year, so it feels like time is running out for Apple to announce some new hardware. There’s still hope it could happen in the fall to release in time for the holidays, but it’s anybody’s guess at this point. It’s been the longest it’s ever been between Apple TV 4K generations now, so we’re already in unprecedented territory.

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