The Edit — Smart Home
Fire TV Stick HD, 4K, 4K Max: What Each Adds
Amazon cut its Fire TV sticks to 3 tiers on 30 September 2026, but 5 sticks and the Cube are still on sale. The new 4K lists no Dolby Vision; the older 4K Plus does, and owners rate it 4.6.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick. How we choose
The page reads the published specifications for each Amazon Fire TV device against what owners report, as How we choose describes, and sets out what each step up the range adds. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Best for Gaming, home theatre
Watch for Remote failures reported
Best for Streaming on a 4K TV
Watch for Remote may not control every TV
Best for Hands-free voice
Watch for A box, not a stick
Best for 1080p TVs
Watch for Compatibility reports mixed
Best for Main apps only
Watch for Missing apps reported
Best for Early adopters
Watch for Only 12 ratings so far
The 4K Max is the top stick, and the one to buy for a 4K TV
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
83,199 ratings at 4.6, the top tier, with 16 GB, Wi-Fi 6E, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Storage | 16 GB |
|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Formats | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Atmos |
83,199 ratings at 4.6. Owners call it fast, responsive and worth the money, and praise the 4K picture and the sound. The listing states 16 GB, double every other Fire TV stick, Wi-Fi 6E, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos. Amazon’s 30 September announcement places it as the stick for gamers and home theatre fans, with Alexa+ Home Theater.
The recurring complaint is the remote, with some owners reporting it stopped working after about a month.
Buy it if
- Cloud gaming and a home theatre
Don't buy it if
- A remote some owners say failed within a month
The 4K Plus lists Dolby Vision, which the new 4K does not
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus
114,830 ratings at 4.6, Dolby Vision and Atmos on Wi-Fi 6, the most-rated Fire TV stick on sale.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 |
|---|---|
| Formats | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Atmos |
114,830 ratings at 4.6, the most-rated Fire TV stick on sale. Owners describe a crystal-clear picture, easy setup and smooth running. The listing states Wi-Fi 6, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos.
The split is the remote: some owners say it will not control their TV’s power and volume. Amazon says older models stay on sale while supplies last, so this is a stick to buy while it is on the shelf.
Buy it if
- Streaming on a 4K TV, without gaming
Don't buy it if
- Anyone whose TV will not take the remote's volume control
The new Fire TV Stick 4K is the middle tier, with few owner reports yet
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (newest model)
12 ratings at 2.1 two days after launch, too few to judge, on Amazon's new middle-tier stick.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| System | Vega OS |
|---|---|
| Storage | 8 GB |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 |
12 ratings at 2.1 on 2 October, 2 days after it started shipping. That is far too few to judge, and it is a newer listing with few reviews yet.
Amazon’s announcement states 8 GB, a quad-core 1.7 GHz processor, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and AV1 at up to 4K and 60 frames a second. It runs Vega OS, takes power from the TV’s USB port with Direct Power, and comes with the redesigned Fire TV Remote. Amazon claims it reaches content 20 to 40% faster than a similarly priced 4K stick from another leading brand.
Buy it if
- Early adopters who want the new remote
Don't buy it if
- A Dolby Vision TV, which it does not list
Skip the 4K Select, the first Vega stick
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select
17,148 ratings at 4.1, the first Vega OS stick, with owners reporting apps they could not find.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| System | Vega OS |
|---|---|
| Formats | HDR10+ |
17,148 ratings at 4.1. Owners find it easy to set up, with a responsive remote, but split hard on value. The recurring complaint is apps: some could not download what they wanted, or found apps they used before were missing. The listing states 4K with HDR10+.
Amazon says it has since added over 2,000 apps to Vega, including Spotify, Xbox, VLC and a range of VPNs. Owners’ reports have not caught up with that yet, and the 4K Plus and 4K Max rate 0.5 higher.
Buy it if
- The main streaming apps only
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who relies on a less common app
The Stick HD is for a 1080p TV, and it runs off the TV
Amazon Fire TV Stick HD (newest model)
5,852 ratings at 4.1, Amazon's entry stick for 1080p TVs, powered from the TV's own USB port.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Video | HD |
|---|---|
| Power | From the TV, USB-C |
5,852 ratings at 4.1. Owners find it easy to use and say the picture improved. Compatibility is the split: it works well with some older TVs and not at all with others, by owners’ accounts. The listing states Direct Power, so the TV’s USB-C supplies it without a wall adapter, plus Bluetooth for private listening on headphones.
Amazon calls it its most affordable stick. On a 1080p TV, the Roku Streaming Stick HD rates higher, at 4.6; Fire TV Stick HD or Roku Streaming Stick sets the 2 side by side.
Buy it if
- A 1080p TV in a bedroom or kitchen
Don't buy it if
- A 4K TV
Whichever stick goes in, a weak signal at the back of the TV is the usual cause of buffering; why a streaming stick buffers works through 7 fixes in order, from the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands to an Ethernet adapter.
The Cube is for talking to the TV, not hiding a stick
Amazon Fire TV Cube
15,991 ratings at 4.4, a box with hands-free Alexa+, for the household that talks to the TV.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Form | Set-top box |
|---|---|
| Voice | Hands-free Alexa+ |
15,991 ratings at 4.4. Amazon describes the Cube as the enthusiast’s Fire TV, with hands-free Alexa+ and voice control. It sits on the shelf rather than behind the TV, and it is the only Fire TV player here that listens without a button press.
Buy it if
- Hands-free voice control of the TV
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who just wants a stick behind the TV
The Fire TV range side by side
| Model | Tier | Storage | Wi-Fi | Dolby Vision | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stick HD | Entry, 1080p | Not stated | Not on the listing | Not listed | New generation |
| Stick 4K (2026) | Middle | 8 GB | Wi-Fi 6 | Not listed | Vega OS |
| Stick 4K Select | Older 4K | 8 GB | Wi-Fi 5 | Not listed | Vega OS |
| Stick 4K Plus | Older 4K | 8 GB | Wi-Fi 6 | Yes | Not stated as Vega |
| Stick 4K Max | Top | 16 GB | Wi-Fi 6E | Yes | Not stated as Vega |
| Cube | Enthusiast | Not stated | Not on the listing | Not read | Hands-free Alexa+ |
The 4K Select’s 8 GB and Wi-Fi 5 come from How-To Geek’s launch report; the 4K Plus’s 8 GB follows from the 4K Max listing, which says it has double. Streaming sticks compared ranks every Fire TV stick against Roku and Google.
The new remote works with every Fire TV since 2019
The redesigned Fire TV Remote ships with the new 4K stick and opened for preorder on its own. Amazon says it pairs with every Fire TV streaming player launched from 2019 on and every Amazon Ember TV. The home button, which Amazon says is pressed over 100 million times a day across Fire TV devices, now has its own metal surface, and the star button can be set to open a favourite app.
A Fire TV Remote Plus, with an aluminium body, backlit buttons and a find-my-remote sound, follows early next year and replaces the Alexa Voice Remote Pro. Fire TV owners with a working remote lose nothing by waiting for it.