Amazon is running another sale on its Fire TV Stick media streamers, with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max available for $27. We’ve seen the 4K streaming stick fall as low as $25 in recent weeks, but this deal is still roughly $20 below the device’s average street price. The standard Fire TV Stick is also on sale for $25, but since the Max brings a performance boost for only a couple dollars more, we recommend getting the higher-end model instead.
Though it’s a couple years old, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is still relatively fast to load menus and switch between apps. Its remote has Alexa support baked in, so it can tie neatly into other Alexa-compatible smart home devices. It supports just about all the major streaming services and HDR standards, as well as Dolby Atmos audio. Unlike the base Fire TV Stick 4K, it also includes a WiFi 6 radio, though you’ll need a compatible router and a particularly fast internet connection to see any advantage from that.
The main caveat, as with most Fire TV devices, is software. Compared to similarly-priced streamers from Roku and Google, Amazon’s Fire OS is generally more aggressive about displaying ads on the home screen and nudging you toward the company’s own services throughout the UI. You’ll get the most out of it if you already use services like Prime Video on a regular basis. There’s also no support for Google Cast (unlike Google’s Chromecast) or Apple AirPlay (unlike various Roku streamers).
We broadly recommend the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and Google Chromecast to most people in the market for an affordable streaming stick for those reasons. Right now, though, both of those devices cost about $20 more. If all you need is a cheap and quick way to get more streaming apps on your TV, the Fire TV Stick 4K is still a fine value at this price.
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