If you have an older TV and aren’t necessarily looking to upgrade to something smarter, you might be in the market for a Fire TV stick to round out your streaming setup. Since its inception, Amazon’s Fire TV range has grown to suit a variety of different needs, resulting in a series of sticks to pick between depending on your use case. Whether you’re looking for a 4K streaming device to watch cutting-edge dramas like House of the Dragon or a budget dongle to rewatch iconic shows like The Sopranos, we can help you find the best Fire TV device for your needs.
What Fire TV Device Is the Best for Most People?
As we mentioned, there are plenty of Fire TV sticks to choose from, depending on your needs. Of all the options on our list, the best match for most people is the Fire TV Stick 4K (2023). At $49.99, it has all the modern streaming features, like HDR and Dolby Atmos sound support, within its approachable price point. Plus, if you’re interested in playing Xbox games but don’t want to take the financial leap on a console, the Fire TV Stick 4K is compatible with the Xbox app. So you’ll only need a Game Pass Ultimate membership and a controller to jump into Xbox’s vast catalog of games.
Every Fire TV Streaming Device Available
Fire TV Stick 4K Max – Best Overall
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max offers a superior streaming experience without making a heavy budget compromise. Under the hood, the 4K Max has a Quadcore processor and 16GB of storage, so you can download all the apps you desire without needing to trade off performance. The 4K Max’s Wifi 6E support also helps to deliver lower latency and higher speeds for content streaming. Though, you’ll need to make sure that your router is compatible to make the most of that feature.
One of the biggest benefits of the Fire Stick TV 4K Max is that, like the Fire Stick TV 4K, you can play Xbox games through the Xbox Cloud Gaming service. With a Game Pass Ultimate membership and a trusty Bluetooth controller, you can take on the vast expanse of outer space in Starfield without investing in a static console.
Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) – Best for Streaming
If you’re looking for an approachable yet powerful Amazon streaming device, the Fire TV Stick 4K is the one for you. At only $20 more than the Fire TV Stick Lite, this pocket-sized wonder can control your smart home and all your content with the help of its built-in voice assistant, Alexa. Alongside streamlining your TV and soundbar remote into a single package, you’ll also find quick access buttons to key apps that make navigating the Olympic-sized pool of streaming services much more straightforward.
If rolling credits on the Fallout TV show has you hankering to spend some time in the wasteland, you can pick up a subscription and access the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library on your Fire Stick TV 4K. Like streaming services that offer copious films and TV shows, you’ll have access to hundreds of games through this service, including Fallout 76 and Fallout 4, which you can play using an external controller paired to the device.
The Fire Stick TV 4K streams at up to 60fps and supports most HDR platforms, including HDR 10, HDR 10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision. The 8GB storage size can fill up fast, though if you’re mainly interested in sticking with the standard streaming apps, it should provide more than enough gigs to get by.
Fire TV Stick Lite – Best Budget Option
At $29.99, the Fire TV Stick Lite opens the door to Amazon’s streaming OS, delivering the bare essentials you need for a solid streaming experience. Ideal for a dorm room TV or secondary screen with a lower resolution, the Fire TV Stick Lite streams in 1080p and boasts a wide array of HDR compatibility.
Finding the right show among a cavalcade of content is straightforward, courtesy of the Fire Stick TV Lite’s controller, which has Alexa voice search built in. While the lite version of the controller doesn’t have the functionality to adjust the TV itself, you can get to apps like Netflix or Prime Video using quick-access buttons.
Amazon Fire TV Cube – Best For Smart Home
Not only does the Fire TV Cube look like a spaceship, but it’s also flush with all the doodads and whatnots you’d likely find in one. Its Octa-Core processor and Alexa Voice Remote allow for smooth and snappy navigation across Amazon’s native Fire OS. You’ll also have a choice of connectivity on the Fire TV Cube, picking between Wi-Fi 6 or an Ethernet port for a more stable connection.
If you’re already in the Amazon home ecosystem, the Fire TV Cube can serve as a slick organizational hub where you can view your Ring Camera, set a snack timer, or ask Alexa to turn down the lights. And, once you’ve locked down your home and are ready to kick back, the Fire Cube TV’s broad HDR support and extensive audio compatibility mean high-intensity blockbusters like Furiosa can be enjoyed in all of their cinematic glory. This is overall an excellent option for any one looking to create more of a home theater system rather than just upgrade their TV with streaming apps.
Amazon Fire TV Stick (3rd Gen) – Best Last-Gen Option
Amazon’s previous generation Fire TV stick is still available for purchase, but we generally don’t reccommend picking one up now that newer generations are available. It doesn’t include 4K streaming and doesn’t offer the benefit of Game Pass compatibility that the newer models do. You can get the 4K version for just $10 more and it isn’t lacking either of those things. If the more affordable price is what is drawing you to the last-gen Fire TV stick, you may want to just consider picking up the Fire TV Stick Lite instead.
Fire TV Stick FAQs
Do you need a Fire TV stick if you have a Fire TV?
If you have an Amazon Fire TV or a fairly new smart TV, then there isn’t really a need for a Fire TV stick. A Fire TV device, like any of the best streaming devices, is really just a way to access streaming apps on your TV. The only real exception to this is if you want to take advantage of the Xbox Game Pass streaming app that is now accessible via the latest Fire TV sticks.
What Fire TV devices are compatible with the Xbox app?
It was only recently that Amazon and Xbox partnered up to allow users to stream Xbox Game Pass games on Fire TV devices. Because of this, only the Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max are compatible with the app. If you have an older generation Fire Stick or the Fire TV Cube, you will not be able to use the app.
Sarah Thwaites is a freelance tech and gaming writer at IGN, with bylines at GameInformer, TrustedReviews, NME and more.
