For the first time in four years, tvOS cuts off some older Apple TV hardware

Apple’s new tvOS 27 delivers Apple’s first major Apple TV hardware cutoff in years, ending support for streaming boxes introduced in 2015 and 2017.

The compatibility change appeared in Apple’s tvOS 27 documentation following WWDC 2026 on June 8. Apple TV HD, introduced in 2015, and the first-generation Apple TV 4K, introduced in 2017, are no longer eligible for the update.

Compatibility is limited to the second-generation Apple TV 4K released in 2021 and third-generation Apple TV 4K models released in 2022.

Apple TV HD remained eligible for major tvOS updates for nearly a decade before losing support with tvOS 27. The first-generation Apple TV 4K received major operating system updates for about eight years before reaching the end of the compatibility list.

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