Amazon just launched a new Fire TV Stick 4K, and the remote redesign is the part that actually matters.
The new Fire TV Remote has an asymmetric shape with a flat top and weighted, curved bottom, so you can tell which way you're holding it without flipping it over like a deck of cards in the dark. The home button gets its own metal surface, other controls are indented or distinctly shaped, and there's a customizable star button that can launch an app or toggle settings like closed captions. That last feature used to be reserved for Amazon's premium remotes.
The idea is simple: you shouldn't need to look at the remote to pause Netflix. It's a small tweak that solves a real problem, and Amazon says the new remote works with all Fire TV devices dating back to 2019.
The stick itself also got faster. Amazon claims apps launch over 35 percent faster and content starts playing nearly 20 percent faster than a similarly priced 4K streaming stick from another leading brand. It runs on a quad-core 1.7GHz processor, has 8GB of storage, and supports Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, 4K at 60fps, and HDR10 plus HDR10+. It ships with Vega OS, Amazon's newer operating system, which now supports over 2,000 apps including Spotify, Xbox, VLC, and the usual streaming suspects.
One thing it doesn't support: Dolby Vision. And sideloading apps is no longer an option on Vega OS, which will frustrate the tinkerers who like to customize their Fire TV experience.
The new Fire TV Stick 4K costs $59.99 and ships today in the US and UK. If you just want the redesigned remote for your existing Fire TV setup, it's available for pre-order at $14.99 and ships in late October. Amazon is also planning a Fire TV Remote Plus with aluminum housing, backlit buttons, and a Find My Remote feature for early 2027.
The remote redesign is overdue. Most streaming remotes are identical black rectangles that disappear into couch cushions and require a phone flashlight to operate. Amazon figured out that shape and texture matter as much as button layout. That's the story.
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