Rarely do rumors upset me as much as today, but this one really hits right in the gut for any Google TV fan. Google is said to be working on a dongle called Chromekey. The product would be able to mirror any device’s Chrome browser to a TV.

Droid-Life’s sources state that it would cost $35 straight from the Google Play Store and other major retailers like Best Buy and Amazon. Powered via USB and connected to the TV via HDMI, it would connect to your network and link to your Chrome browsers across devices. The streaming/mirroring feature is said to go under the name of “CAST”, which it will be enabled after an upcoming update to Chrome.

Why is this upsetting? Simply because mirroring is a feature Google TV users have been begging for all along! It is honestly the only reason why I also bought an Apple TV – to be able to mirror my computer’s screen. It just seems rather unfair for loyal GTV enthusiasts to see Google working on a said Chromekey and offering a completely new device for it.

Before we freak out, though, we should focus on the fact that this is still a fresh rumor. Chromekey’s awesome CAST feature would definitely come from the software side of things. Internally, the device just sounds like a very low-end dongle, with specs lower than most Google TVs nowadays. If Google is indeed working on a Chromekey, its functionality could possibly be adapted to Google TV later on.

Chromekey Specifications

• HDMI
• Single-core processor
• 2GB of internal storage
• 512MB of RAM
• WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
• VP8
• CEC
• 1080p video
• USB (for power)

Hardware-wise, any Google TV can probably handle whatever this dongle would be running. So while we know nothing of any Google TV mirroring features yet, we should stay positive. Regardless, a $35 device that offers Chrome mirroring and streaming would be a great deal. I will definitely buy one if the feature doesn’t come to Google TV, I just wish it won’t be necessary for Google TV users to pocket out more money for a feature the platform desperately deserves.

[via Chromespot]