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Amazon sells some of the most popular streaming devices as part of its Fire TV Stick lineup. These compact media streamers offer an easy way to add smart TV functionality to your older TV or to replace your TV’s existing operating system. For many years, you had to spend at least $50 to get a 4K Fire TV Stick, unless, of course, a deal was available, which is fairly common with Amazon’s Fire TV lineup. However, as 4K TVs have become almost ubiquitous, the company is introducing a new, more affordable 4K streamer to provide consumers with an additional choice.
Dubbed the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, the new streaming media player has a list price of $40, which is $10 cheaper than the Fire TV Stick 4K, making it a great option for anyone looking for an entry-level 4K streaming media player. Besides Walmart’s Onn brand, none of the major players in this space offer a 4K streamer for less than $40. Amazon’s new 4K streamer is currently on pre-order and will go on sale starting October 15. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
What does the Fire TV Stick 4K Select offer?
Besides being Amazon’s most affordable 4K streamer, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select is the first streaming stick to come with the brand-new Vega OS. Although the company hasn’t shared many details about Vega OS, it’s said to be very responsive and efficient, which is something that the Fire TV Stick 4K Select will need. Powered by a relatively low-end MediaTek MT8698 quad-core processor with only 1 GB of RAM, it could use all of the efficiency that it can get. If the screenshots published on the Fire TV Stick 4K Select product page are any indication, the Vega OS interface doesn’t appear to be significantly different from what we have come to expect from Fire OS. So, if you’re coming from another Fire TV Stick, there won’t be a massive learning curve.
In other software features, the new streamer will soon support the Alexa+ voice assistant, which uses generative AI to deliver a smarter and more conversational experience. It’s also set to receive support for cloud gaming from Amazon Luna and Xbox Cloud Gaming in the future. Beyond the Vega OS, the new model shares most of the features with Amazon’s base Fire TV Stick HD. For example, it has only 8 GB of storage and supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG formats, but no Dolby Vision. It also lacks Dolby Atmos support, but it can pass other Dolby audio formats to your TV. Finally, Wi-Fi connectivity is limited to the older Wi-Fi 5 standard, and you’ll receive the basic Alexa Voice Remote, which lacks buttons for channel control and recent apps.
Should you upgrade to the Fire TV Stick 4K Select?
The Fire TV Stick 4K Select occupies an interesting position in Amazon’s Fire TV Stick lineup. As it’s only $5 more than the Fire TV Stick HD, there is little reason to opt for the base model, unless you really don’t need 4K streaming and would rather save the extra money. However, for anyone seeking a proper 4K streaming stick, its lack of features can be an issue, as you miss out on Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos, and faster Wi-Fi.
It also remains to be seen whether Vega OS can truly make a difference on the performance front, as otherwise, 4K streaming may be too much for the streaming stick’s one gig of RAM, and no one likes a laggy and sluggish experience from their smart TV. Additionally, as it’s a brand-new product, you will have to pay the sticker price for the 4K Select for a while, whereas you can get the Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max with discounts, making them better value for money. So, it would be best to wait for Fire TV Stick 4K Select reviews to get a better idea of the Vega OS performance, and probably by that time, it may also start getting a discount to bring its pricing more in line with the rest of the lineup.
