Apple TV apps and games can now be 20x bigger

Apple has significantly increased its maximum file size for Apple TV apps and games. The company previously capped tvOS developers at just 200MB, but it is now accepting submissions up to 4GB in size — a massive 20x increase.

Apple says it is making this change so that developers “can include more media in your submission and provide a complete, rich user experience upon installation.” It should benefit games in particular, allowing better visuals, bigger worlds, and more content.

But that’s not all it could lead to. As some developers have noted, one thing that requires bigger assets and more space is 4K content. This could be a step Apple is taking to pave the way for a new Apple TV that will finally support super-sharp 4K TVs.

It might not mean that; Apple could be increasing its limits for tvOS apps just because it can. But with 4K TVs getting cheaper and more popular, and rival boxes like the Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast Ultra offering 4K, it seems plausible Apple is looking to catch up.

Apple TV developers have been able to create apps and games that require more than 200MB of content, but until now, additional assets had to be stored in Apple’s cloud using a feature called “On-Demand Resources,” which allows for up to 20GB.

Developers can still take advantage of that, but with the option to add more content into the app package itself, they can improve loading times and reduce the reliance on speedy internet connections — which not every Apple TV owner has.