Amazon has just announced its latest streaming stick, with the Fire TV Stick 4K.
The brand promises that the new Fire TV Stick 4K will not only deliver faster performance and a more intuitive remote design than before, but it also results in a more simplified product lineup.
That’s good to know as, frankly, Amazon’s Fire TV line-up has become incredibly confusing, especially since the brand quietly changed the name from the Fire TV Stick 4K to Fire TV Stick 4K Plus.
So, alongside Amazon’s promise of a simplified product lineup, what’s really new with this year’s Fire TV Stick 4K? If you bought last year’s Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, then should you consider upgrading?
We explain everything you need to know about the Fire TV Stick 4K and how it compares to the 2025 Fire TV Stick 4K (now known as the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus).
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Price and Availability
The newly announced Fire TV Stick 4K is available to buy now in the US, UK, Canada, Japan, Mexico and Australia, plus various countries across Europe including Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. The TV Stick includes the remote control and costs $59.99.
At the time of writing, last year’s Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is still available to buy on Amazon’s website. Although it has an official RRP of £79.99/$79.99, it has seen countless price drops over the past few months – in fact, it’s currently retailing for just £34.99.
Fire TV Stick 4K has a redesigned remote
The new Fire TV Stick 4K comes equipped with a new Fire TV Remote design that promises to be easier to hold and use than the older model. Amazon says the remote now sports an asymmetric shape, made up of a flat top and curved bottom, that makes it easier to tell which direction to hold it, while its controls are more tactile for more intuitive navigation too.
In addition, the Fire TV Remote’s home button now has a metal surface to make it easier to identify too. There’s also a new customisable star button that can act as a shortcut to your most used app or an easy way to enter the Stick’s settings too.
Plus, and like the older iteration, you can control your TV, soundbar and receiver’s settings via the Fire TV Remote too.
Fire TV Stick 4K runs on Vega OS
Rather than running on the original Fire OS, like the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, the new Fire TV Stick 4K is built on Amazon’s Vega OS, and comes with Alexa+ installed too. Although we haven’t reviewed Vega OS yet, Amazon says it has over 2000 apps, including Spotify, Xbox and a range of VPNs, alongside the expected apps like Prime Video, Disney Plus, YouTube and Netflix.
That’s not to say we don’t like Fire OS. We find Amazon’s original TV operating system is simple to navigate and, although it does have a tendency to prioritise Amazon content, it works well.
Fire TV Stick 4K Plus supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos Audio
Although both devices support HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, only the older Fire TV Stick Plus supports Dolby Vision. That means when streaming compatible content, you’ll benefit from enhanced colours, vibrancy and brightness than without.
Not only that, but the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus also supports Dolby Atmos Audio for more optimised and clear audio quality too.
Even so, just remember that you’ll need to make sure your TV and connected speakers are also compatible with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos Audio.
Both are similar in other regards
Otherwise, the Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Plus share many similarities. Not only do the two Fire TV Sticks support Wi-Fi 6 but they are also each fitted with a 1.7GHz processor that Amazon promises will help customers get to content up to 40% faster than competitors too. In addition, the processor is promised to see app launch up to 35% faster too.
With a redesigned remote and Vega OS at its helm, the Fire TV Stick 4K is a great way to easily upgrade an old TV into a faster smart TV. However, whether you need to buy it if you already own the original Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is debatable.
Although the Fire TV Stick 4K does benefit from Vega OS and a redesigned remote, the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus boasts Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos Audio too. Plus, Amazon has said that you’ll be able to buy a new remote separately in 2027.