Amazon launches new Fire TV Stick 4K with Vega OS, USB power

Amazon today discontinued the Fire TV Stick 4K Select and Plus to launch a new Fire TV Stick 4K with Vega OS – not Android – and a refreshed remote, but no Dolby Vision or Atmos.

- "Amazon today announced Fire TV Stick 4K and an all-new Fire TV Remote – the latest in a new generation of Fire TV hardware that started with Fire TV Stick HD earlier this year. Together, they deliver faster performance, a simplified product lineup, and a new, more intuitive remote design," the company said.

It features a quad-core 1.7 GHz processor, 8GB storage, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and Low Energy, HDR10 and HDR10+ as well as support for both HEVC, VP9 and AV1 video. 4K is supported up to 60fps.

Like the Fire TV Stick HD, it has a slimmer form factor with reduced power consumption so that it can be powered by a TV's USB port instead of requiring a power cable to an outlet.

Dolby Vision is not supported and Dolby Atmos cannot be decoded, which is a requirement from many streaming apps. Dolby Atmos passthrough may work for some.


Vega OS – not Android
Like the Fire TV Stick HD, it runs Vega OS instead of Fire OS, which is based on Android. This means that some apps are missing, as all apps must be rewritten fore Vega OS, but Amazon highlighted that it has added over 2000 apps since last year, including VLC, Xbox and VPNs. GeForce Now is coming soon.

Vega OS does not support sideloading of apps either, which has pushed some users to Amazon's older products like the Fire TV Stick 4K Max that still run Android.

Additionally, there is a redesigned Fire TV Remote with more tactile buttons, an asymmetric shape and a customizable shortcut button for apps and settings. It works with Fire TV players launched since 2019 and is available separately for $15 in the US, with wider availability planned for early 2027.

A Fire TV Remote Plus arrives early next year, replacing the Alexa Voice Remote Pro with an aluminum design, backlit buttons and a built-in Find My Remote feature.


Faster, demonstrated
Amazon claims that the new stick "gets customers to content from nearly 20-40% faster than a similarly priced 4K stick from another leading brand", presumably referring to Roku.

The company has created this video to demonstrate it:


Down to three Fire TV sticks
With the launch of the new Fire TV Stick 4K, Amazon is simplifying its lineup by dropping the 4K Plus and 4K Select sticks.

The new Fire TV Stick 4K costs $60, which is more than the Select ($50) but less than the Plus ($70). It starts shipping today in the US, Canada, Japan, Mexico, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand from Amazon.com. It will launch in additional countries in October.

The lineup, which competes with Roku, Apple TV, Google TV Streamer and other streaming sticks and boxes, now looks like this:


Alexa+ updates
Amazon is also updating Alexa+, bringing smarter search that can reason across subscriptions, watch history and real-world context. A new Alexa+ hub will offer personalized recommendations and let users continue conversations across devices.

Fire TV mobile app is also getting Alexa+, allowing users to search, build watchlists and get recommendations from articles, photos and other inspiration. Titles can also be opened directly in streaming apps on the phone.

Amazon is upgrading Fire TV's entertainment hubs for live TV, cloud gaming and creator content, while a redesigned Amazon Music app will combine music, videos, podcasts, concerts and livestreams.

The Alexa+ updates begin rolling out in the US in November on Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), Fire TV Cube, Amazon Ember TVs and partner TVs from Hisense, TCL etc. Support for more Fire TV devices and countries are coming early next year.