Amazon May Be Making a Big Change to Its Fire TVs Later This Year

Amazon’s Fire TVs run on a modified version of the Android operating system, although if a fresh rumor turns out to be correct, it won’t for long.Tech writer Janko Roettgers, who’s got a track record of breaking Amazon Fire TV stories, says that Amazon is in the process of “courting major publishers to bring their apps to (Vega OS),” the new operating system that Amazon has developed for its streaming devices.“Vega is a Linux-based operating system that may one day replace Amazon’s Android-based Fire OS across a wide variety of devices,” Roettgers writes.

What it’ll look like, though, is anybody’s guess.(opens in a new window)AmazonFire TV 4K Max(opens in a new window)Available at AmazonBuy Now(opens in a new window)a slew of recent changesAmazon has been tinkering with its Fire TV platform quite a lot lately. Back in February this year, Amazon removed the ability to delete certain unwanted, first-party apps from the Fire TV UI.



Amazon has a history of being pushy with controlling what you see and don’t see on its devices, more so than Roku and Apple. Don’t forget that in the recent past, Amazon was wedging annoying advertisements into its Echo devices.I’ve reviewed the Fire TV Stick 4K Max for my guide to the Best Streaming Devices, and although it lost out on the top honors to the Roku and Apple devices, it wasn’t a bad device at all.

I didn’t particularly like the remote’s too-small buttons or the user interface as much as the Roku remote, but the Amazon device has support for both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound, which gives it a leg up on the Roku.The built-in Alexa voice assistant works quite well, though, and Fire TV ties into so many smart home hubs and devices that there’s real value to somebody who already has an Alexa ecosystem integrated inside their home.All that said, the Fire TV’s user interface didn’t blow me away.

A shift in operating systems could be just the ticket for Amazon to take on Roku. But it could also be a major stumble for Amazon if they don’t stick the landing.I’m cautiously optimistic yet anxious.

I’ll continue to keep you updated as details pour out over the next few months.(opens in a new window)AmazonFire TV Stick(opens in a new window)Available at AmazonBuy Now(opens in a new window)The post Amazon May Be Making a Big Change to Its Fire TVs Later This Year appeared first on VICE..