Chromecast Ultra is the version of the legendary Chromecast that supports 4K resolutions and HDR displays. However, if you have reached this article, it is very likely that you already know this and even have one of these devices connected to your TV. To take full advantage of the legendary Google device there are dozens of applications available at the Android store. Apart from the applications recommended by the manufacturer, there is a whole range of tools that allow users to turn their Chromecast Ultra into a console emulator, for example, or karaoke or even a dance game. We have compiled several of these applications to get the most out of the little toy in the big G.
VLC: For Watching Series and Movies
One of the best video players currently available for our Chromecast. The Android application allows users to stream videos on their TV. Precisely its greatest advantage is that it supports video and audio formats without loss of quality (MKV, MP4, AVI, MOV, OGG, FLAC, TS, M2TS, WV, and AAC), not to mention the compatibility with subtitle files that you can download over the Internet and the option to play videos in 4K.
Also, the application allows reading content hosted on micro SD cards and external devices in general. This way you can connect an external hard disk or USB memory to the phone to play the content directly on the TV.
- Download VLC for Android
Solid Explorer: A File Manager for Sending Content to Chromecast
Not only is it the best file manager you can find on Android, but it’s also one of the few supported by Chromecast. It indeed has a 14-day trial period, but from techidence.com we highly recommend its purchase.
Besides allowing users to browse through the files hosted on the phone, the application is compatible with literally any file format. Videos in MP4, images in PNG, PDF documents, documents in Word format, songs in WMA, and PowerPoint presentations. In short, any type of file. The good thing is that since it is compatible with Chromecast, you can transfer the files directly to your TV without using separate applications.
- Download Solid Explorer for AndroidÂ
Musixmatch: Turn your Chromecast into a Karaoke
Is it possible to turn your TV into a virtual karaoke? It is possible to turn your TV into a virtual karaoke. How? Through MusixMatch. The application itself is not useful, that is, you cannot play songs from your application, but you have to use third-party services such as Pandora, Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, Apple Music, or Google Play Music.
Once you have started to play songs on any of the services we have just mentioned, the application will overlay the lyrics of the song in question as a karaoke. This way you can look for songs without vocals to turn your Chromecast into a walking karaoke.
- Download MusixMatch for Android
TuneIn Radio: The Best Way to Listen to Radio on your TV
There are dozens of radio applications for Android and iOS, but few are compatible with the Google device. TuneIn Radio is one of the few applications that are fully compatible with Chromecast.
It has more than 100,000 stations available from all over the world, although its biggest advantage is the categorization that the application does on the stations. For example, you can classify the content depending on the country, the type of music, or the subject matter (politics, sports, technology, etc). However, the application has a paid version. The free version has some unlimited functions.
- Download TuneIn Radio for Android
Broadcast to Smart TV: For Video and Photo Streaming
The name of the application describes the purpose for which it is designed: to transmit images and videos to the TV. The application acts as a kind of gallery that collects all the music, photos, and videos that are stored in the phone’s memory. Because it is compatible with the Google device, you can send your content directly to your TV, so you don’t have to use separate applications.
The good news is that it supports virtually any video, sound, and image format. It’s also compatible with other DLNA devices, such as Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, as well as proprietary systems from Samsung, LG, Sony, and others.
- Download Broadcast to Smart TV for Android
Angry Birds Friends: The Mythical Flying Bird Saga comes to Chromecast
Probably the best game we can find for our Chromecast Ultra. This fun game developed by Rovio brings us the experience of the original flying birds game by adding a multiplayer mode to play with friends and, in general, with any Angry Birds Friends player.
The game releases 20 new levels every week and includes a general classification that allows users to compete against the rest of the players in the world. It also features competitive challenges every two weeks in which you can earn dozens of rewards to advance to higher leagues.
- Download Angry Birds Friends for Android
DrawParty: The Offline Painter for Chromecast
Are you familiar with the game Paintbrush? Since the quarantine has been established, it has become one of the most downloaded games for mobile phones. DrawParty brings us the original essence of this mythical game through our Chromecast Ultra. The difference with its counterpart is that it lacks an offline mode. That is to say, you can only play with members of your household.
Otherwise, the game is practically identical. In short, you have to guess the suggested word through a figure drawn by the host of the party. The first person to get the word right will be the next host of the game. And so on.
- Download DrawParty for Android
Kodi: Watch Series, Movies, and TV Shows
We have told you many times about Kodi. It is an IPTV content manager that allows us to play radio stations, series, TV channels, movies, and documentaries through third-party sources. Therefore, you can watch content from other countries without any kind of subscription.
Unfortunately, the application does not support the playback of content through Chromecast. The good news is that several methods will allow you to duplicate the screen on the TV to see the entire application.
- Download Kodi for Android
CastNES: Turn your Chromecast into a Nintendo Console
Yes, there are also emulators for Google Chromecast. This one from the ViApps studio turns our TV into a Nintendo system, the legendary NES. The operation of the application is really simple. You just have to load the original ROM file into the phone and then click on the Chromecast virtual button. Our phone will automatically become a remote control, where we can control the different buttons of the emulator.
As far as signal delay is concerned, the feedback we have found from the application is positive, so the experience in this aspect is expected to be positive. It also has a paid version that costs just over $2.99 and allows users to remove advertising from the emulator.
- Download CastNES for Android
Just Dance Now: Dance to the Beat with your Phone
Speaking of games, this one from Ubisoft brings the original Just Dance experience to our Chromecast. Through the different sensors of the mobile phone, the application will be able to capture our movements while the game shows us live choreography on the TV. It doesn’t require any kind of camera, you just have to hold the mobile firmly with your hand and it will start recording the movements.
With more than 500 songs available from different music genres, the game has social features to play against 10, 100, or 1,000 players if you wish. Everything from the living room of your house. It also has a function that allows users to calculate the number of calories consumed during the dance.
- Download Just Dance Now for Android
Web Video Cast: A Powerful Web Browser
If you want to have a web browser on your Chromecast, Web Video Cast is one of the best applications for Google device. It is not a common web browser, as it has dozens of additional functions aimed at playing web videos.
For example, it has an ad blocker that allows users to remove annoying ads. It also allows users to play content directly from the phone’s internal memory. Or add subtitles to files. Or download videos from websites without using external applications. The options here are endless.
- Download Web Video Cast for Android
Cast PDF: A Simple Reader for your Chromecast Ultra
As its name suggests, it is a simple PDF document viewer that allows you to protect your files directly on your TV. Its functions are limited to those of an ordinary PDF reader: word search, night mode, customizable zoom, two-page reading, and so on. Beyond the application’s compatibility with Chromecast, Cast PDF allows you to read documents directly on your mobile phone and tablet. It also has a paid version that eliminates advertising and makes the watermark disappear.
- Download Cast PDF for Android
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