Amazon is streamlining its lineup of streaming sticks. It said it’s discontinuing the Fire TV Stick 4K Select and Plus models and replacing them with the all-new Fire TV Stick 4K that’s based on the Vega OS platform rather than Android.
The decision means that only one of Amazon’s existing Fire TV Stick lineup still supports the sideloading of third-party applications anymore, in line with company’s earlier promise to clamp down on pirated live sports content.
According to Amazon, the Fire TV Stick 4K offers much better performance than the sticks it replaces, thanks to the inclusion of a quad-core 1.7 gigahertz processor, which enables movies and shows to start playing by up to 40% faster than other brand’s streaming sticks, Amazon claims. Other specifications include 8 gigabytes of storage space, support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, HDR10+ and HDR10. It also supports a range of codecs, including HEVC, VP9 and AV1, with 4K resolution available at up to 60 frames per second. Notable omissions include Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, which cannot be decoded by the device.
The new device sits above Amazon’s Fire TV Stick HD, which was introduced in April, and it has a similar slimmer form-factor, with lower energy consumption that makes it possible to be powered by the TV it’s plugged into – through a USB port – eliminating the need for a separate power cable.
Because the Fire TV Stick 4K runs Vega OS instead of the Android-powered Fire OS platform found on its older streaming dongles, it means that there’s only a limited number of applications available for it through the Amazon app store. Because it’s a new operating system, developers have to rewrite their TV apps to work for it, and it seems that many haven’t yet gotten around to doing that.
This means that anyone upgrading from an older Amazon Fire TV Stick is likely to find that they can’t download some apps, though Amazon claims that there are now more than 2,000 Vega-based apps that do work with the device, including Xbox, VLC and a number of popular VPNs. It also said that Nvidia is working on a Vega version of the GeForce Now cloud gaming app, which should be available soon.
The bigger concern for many fans of Amazon’s streaming dongles is that the Vega platform does not allow sideloading, so there’s no way to download applications from third-party sources. Users are limited to what’s available in Amazon’s app store only. The lack of a sideloading capability is likely going to lose Amazon a lot of fans, for its older Fire TV Sticks were bought specifically for that purpose. Unfortunately for them, Amazon decided to clamp down on the practice in response to criticism that it was doing nothing to combat third-party applications that allowed people to access illegal pirated streams of live sports games such as Premier League football, NFL games and other exclusive content.
Anyone who still wants to sideload applications had better move fast. As of today, the only Fire TV Stick that still supports sideloading is the existing Fire TV Stick 4K Max device, which still runs the Android-based Fire OS platform. It’s highly likely that Amazon is going to replace that device next, though it hasn’t yet said when.
Those who purchase the new Fire TV Stick 4K will also be the first to get their hands on Amazon’s new Fire TV Remote, which features more tactile buttons and sports an asymmetric shape. There’s also a customisable shortcut button that users can set to their favourite apps or settings. Amazon said the new remote also works with older Fire TV devices, so users have the option to buy it separately for $15 in the U.S. It’s not yet available in the U.K.
Because Amazon is discontinuing the Fire TV Stick 4K Select and Plus models, it means that its Fire TV Stick lineup now consists of just three models – the Fire TV Stick HD, the Fire TV Stick 4K and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. However, its most powerful streaming gadget remains the Fire TV Cube, which comes in a set-top box form-factor.
By the way, if you do want to buy one of the older models, they can still be found on Amazon, as it will of course try to flog whatever existing stock it has.
Amazon said the new Fire TV Stick 4K is on sale now, priced at £69.99. If that price seems expensive, you can blame the “RAMageddon,” which recently prompted the company and other streaming device makers to hike their asking prices. If you decide you want to buy one, we highly recommend waiting until October 6 when Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event kicks off, for the company has promised to discount the price by more than 50% to just £32.99 for 48 hours.
