Apple is one of the early pioneers of the streaming era, as it released its first Apple TV device in September 2006. However, it wasn’t until the second-generation model, which came out 4 years later, that would run a version of iOS, allowing apps to be installed on the device. Fast-forward more than a decade and the 2022 version of the Apple TV 4K has quickly become one of the most highly recommended major smart TV devices available on the market. This isn’t just because of the availability of top-quality content on the Apple TV platform but also for its sheer performance — in my experience, it’s got fluidity and responsiveness that Google Chromecast or other streaming devices simply don’t have.

Apple TV 4K starts at $129 for the Wi-Fi model with 64GB of storage. There’s also a Wi-Fi + Ethernet variant with an expanded 128GB of storage for an upgraded cost of $149. While the hardware is a one-time purchase, you can also get the Apple TV subscription for a monthly fee of $12.99 month (after a 7-day free trial period) to access Apple original shows and movies. Just like an iPhone, your AppleTV device comes out of the box with a bunch of pre-installed apps, but there are a lot of other apps you can find on the App Store can truly elevate your Apple TV experience.

This huge selection does come with a disadvantage, though; it can certainly make it difficult to find the best Apple TV apps for you. That’s why we’ve compiled the following list of five essential apps that you should install on your Apple TV device as soon as you can. All these apps were chosen not just because they’re free to download but also because we’ve got hands-on experience with them — something we’ll cover in-depth later.

Apple TV isn’t meant for just streaming content from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Apple’s own streaming service. You can also play content from external sources like your own hard drive. While VLC and Nova Player are some of the best free apps you should install on a smart TV or even a smartphone, the choice is a bit different for Apple TV users because of platform differences. I tried the Infuse app, which also happens to have a higher user rating on the App Store compared to VLC, and I actually liked it for what it had in store.

While other traditional media players have a common user interface, Infuse did things differently. The ability to organize your local media library similar to the interface of a streaming service is something that stands out. It not only lets you play content from external storage, but you can also stream videos from your MacBook, network-attached storage (NAS), Windows PC, or cloud services like OneDrive, Google Drive, and DropBox. Another thing that makes Infuse unique is that it can run any type of video format and has support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision as well.

You can also connect this app with Trakt, a community for film lovers where you can discover content across the streaming platform, create a watchlist, and share your review with the community. Additionally, Infuse lets you grab subtitles from OpenSubtitles, which is a real plus for accessibility. Watching movies felt like a breeze on Infuse thanks to its super smooth user interface, definitely making it one of the best media players for Apple TV in my experience.

While Apple Music, the preloaded music streaming app on the Apple TV device, is a good place to start, Spotify is still one of the best music and podcast streaming apps on the market. That’s not just because of its vast library of audio content, but also because of its features. Unlike some apps that simply expand their mobile UI for TVs, the Spotify app for Apple TV devices transforms your television into an audio hub. You get large, immersive album art and song details prominently displayed in the center of your screen. Additionally, the “Now Playing” screen extracts the dominant color from the album art and paints the background to match — something I really enjoyed.

Real-time synced lyrics automatically scroll down with the song playing in the background, converting your living room into a karaoke club for a social gathering. Don’t feel like searching for a specific track from your TV? Beam your favorite song from your iPhone to your Apple TV and enjoy it that way instead. You can also control the Spotify TV app directly from your mobile app; for me, there was minimum of lag whenever I used this feature. Additionally, if you opt for Spotify’s premium subscription tier, you can get rid of the ads and enjoy music without any interruptions on any platform you have Spotify on.

Beyond music, Spotify now also gives you access to video content. It has a large library of video podcasts from which to choose, allowing you to watch your favorite content creator right on the big screen. Spotify is available on nearly all devices, which gives it a slight edge over Apple Music, even if there are questions about whether Spotify or Apple Music has better sound quality.

Thanks to the streaming era, there’s no shortage of good content. In fact, there are so many shows and movies from various parts of the world that go unnoticed but are really quite brilliant and deserve a viewing. Quite often I find it hard to find something to watch, because I just don’t know where to look. This is where Letterboxd comes into play. One of a number of highly useful movie and TV apps you might not be aware of, Letterboxd is best described as a social media platform but for movies and shows. If you are someone like who loves watching content online, then the Letterboxd app for your Apple TV device will help you keep track of everything that you’ve watched.

Additionally, Letterboxd has a built-in rating system, allowing users to rate movies between one and five stars — a great utility for helping the community understand if a piece of content is worth watching or not. I often find Letterboxd recommendations better than the algorithms that streaming services use. The Letterboxd community is also quite active, and you can see which movies are popular and why everyone is recommending them.

Letterboxd is free to download and use, but there is a premium version of the app available as well. Paying for a Letterboxd Pro subscription unlocks some additional features such as filters for movies based on the platform they are streaming on, the ability to view detailed statistics, disabling ads, pinning content to your profile, and changing your username, to name but a few. There’s an additional Letterboxd Patron subscription tier as well that offers even more functionality.

“Asphalt 8: Airborne” is the best way to test the limits of your Apple TV as a gaming device. I first played this game when it launched back in 2013 and never looked back. This has been one of my favorite games to run any device through its paces, be it a smartphone, tablet, or even a streaming device. Despite “Asphalt 8” being a mobile-first title, it’s been highly optimized for Apple TV and delivers fantastic graphics and visual effects.

This arcade racer lets you choose from of the more than 450 licensed vehicles (both four- and two-wheelers), with choices ranging from Ferraris and Ducatis to Fords and Chevrolets. A racing game is nothing without its challenging tracks, and “Asphalt 8: Airborne” has plenty. Especially when played on a 4K monitor, the tracks and their visuals look amazing. Another plus is that this game offers controller support from modern consoles like the PlayStation, the Xbox, and Apple MFi (Made for iPhone) controllers like the SteelSeries Nimbus+.

The game lets you create your unique racing avatar, which you can use to express your personality. Since “Asphalt 8” supports cross-platform play, you can begin racing on one device, pause your game, and pick right up where you left off on another, offering high levels of convenience. Additionally, if you get tired of racing against AI opponents, you can challenge players from around the world through the game’s built-in multiplayer mode.

While I thoroughly enjoy “Asphalt 8: Airborne”, sometimes I’m looking to enjoy a different game from the couch that isn’t available through the Apple Play Store. Wouldn’t you know it, though — there just happens to be an app that lets you turn your Apple TV device into a game streaming platform. Moonlight Game Streaming, an open-source application that’s free to download and compatible with your Apple TV device, is exactly what I use when I want to stream games from my PC directly to my Apple TV device.

Moonlight is a bit of a niche PC game streaming app, but I like it because it’s highly customizable; it allows you to stream games that you have purchased on different platforms like Steam or the Epic Games store. Moonlight is based on graphics card manufacturer Nvidia’s GameStream technology, making it compatible with any PC that uses one of its cards. The app also supports non-Nvidia graphics cards through the LizardByte Sunshine add-on. You’re only restricted by the speed of your internet connection: If you have the bandwidth, you can stream games up to 4K with HDR support with Moonlight, get full 120fps streaming, and play offline multiplayer with up to four connected devices.

Perhaps the most attractive thing about the Moonlight app is that it features full controller support. This means you can use PlayStation, Xbox, and MFi controllers without trouble. Quite often I stream games from my Windows PC to Apple TV device via Moonlight, and I’ve never experienced any stutter or lag. Make sure that you have a high-speed internet, though, to ensure smooth gameplay.

The above list of apps have been chosen across distinct categories that highlight Apple TV’s versatility beyond standard streaming. However, one thing about this list is that all the apps listed in this article are available at no initial cost, ensuring that all users can immediately download these apps and elevate their Apple TV experience. The apps have also been selected based on personal long-term usage and experience.