NEWS Disney's new set-top box will play games

Launching sometime this year, aimed at kids and parents

Disney is licensing a set-top box that streams media and plays games, and the company is eyeing a 2017 launch for the device.

It's called Disney Kids TV. Snakebyte, an accessory maker that just unveiled a line of Nintendo Switch peripherals at CES is making it. Three themes — Frozen, The Avengers and Disney Kids — will be available when it launches.

Disney Kids TV is meant to be a set-top box for kids rooms, which often get hand-me-down units that need a lot of parental guidance, especially for younger children. Disney Kids TV will come preloaded with movies, TV shows and games. It supports 4K resolution as well.

The box will cost $99 and is expected to launch sometime this year, though no firm date has been given. A Disney-branded controller will also be offered for $39, though it is described as optional and users will be able to connect other Bluetooth controllers to the box.

IGN also reports that the box will be able to download anything from the Google Play store.

Disney abruptly ended its Disney Infinity toys-to-life line and pulled out of console and PC video games development altogether back in May, though here it is merely licensing a device, not manufacturing one itself. There's no word on what the games on this box will entail, but it's a fair guess they will be simple, targeted to children and probably consistent with the offerings on Google Play.