Mozilla to launch Chromecast-style dongle

Mozilla has announced the upcoming launch of Matchstick – a new HDMI streaming stick powered by Firefox OS.

Entering the market at $25 – or $12 through Kickstarter for the first 500 customers – Mozilla’s forthcoming move into the streaming market could provide a solid rival for Google’s Chromecast, which currently retails at £30 in the UK.

Unlike Chromecast, Matchstick will offer an open source platform for both software and hardware, letting developers explore content and applications – from films and music to games.

An open software development kit means that developers can build their own streaming and interactive experiences without the need for approval or review.

In a blog post, Mozilla wrote: “When Google introduced Chromecast we were excited about the possibilities but ultimately were disappointed when they pulled back on the device’s ultimate promise – any content on any HD screen, anywhere, anytime.

“We decided to make something better and more open, and to accomplish this we had to choose an operating system that would become the bedrock for the adaptable and open-sourced platform that is Matchstick. That platform is Firefox OS, which allows us to build the first streaming stick free of any walled garden ecosystem.”