The Amazon Fire Stick 4K Max Is Worth the Money, and This Is Why

Key Takeaways

• The Fire Stick 4K Max offers the best value for money.

• It offers better features, like more storage and a relatively powerful processor, than other Fire TV Sticks from Amazon.
• If you’re looking for the best Fire TV Stick on the market, you should buy the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

If you’re looking for a streaming device from Amazon, the company has several models you can pick from. However, of all the streaming devices in its portfolio, the Amazon Fire Stick 4K Max offers the best bang for your buck.

More Storage

Compared to the standard Fire Stick 4K, the Max offers a similar 2GB memory but doubles the onboard storage to 16GB from 8GB on the former. This is a key advantage if you plan to download various apps for your entertainment needs. It ensures you won’t run out of storage space faster after installing your favorite TV apps and then some more.

You can load your content directly onto your device if you want to watch it offline. However, 16GB isn’t much by any standards if you want to have a library of offline content. For such cases, you can add more storage to your Fire TV Stick. And if you have a Plex server, the Amazon Fire TV smart TV platform does have a Plex client app that you can download to enjoy your library.

Better Remote

While the Fire TV Stick 4K Max does come with an out-of-the-box remote like other Fire TV Stick models, it includes the improved Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced. Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced allows you to control some aspects of your TV, soundbar, and even receiver (if you have one), like volume. This is a much better experience than using different remotes to control different devices.

However, that isn’t even the best feature on the remote. What makes it better is the live TV navigation buttons, which allow you to surf live TV channels easily. Additionally, the remote has other standard features like the Alexa button, several buttons for popular streaming platforms, and more.

More Capable Processor

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max has a powerful 2.0 GHz quad-core processor, better than what you get from its siblings. With a more capable processor, it offers faster app starts and a fluid navigation experience. That processor also comes in handy in cloud gaming, which we’ll dive into below.

Cloud Gaming Support

With the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, you can play games via the cloud using Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming service or Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming platform. (We’ve covered what Xbox Cloud Gaming is and how it works, so you can check our explainer if you need more details).

You can enjoy gaming on the device by pairing any compatible Bluetooth-enabled gaming controller, such as the Xbox Wireless Controller. Wi-Fi 6E support (exclusive to the Fire TV Stick 4K Max) also provides the best connectivity experience if you have a compatible router and live in an area with a crowded network. It also supports Game Mode (also referred to as Auto Low Latency Mode) to reduce lag while gaming.

If you want to get a Fire TV Stick for cloud gaming, you should grab Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max with Carbon Black Xbox Wireless Controller bundle.

Fire TV Ambient Experience

Exclusive to the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and even lacking on the more expensive Fire TV Cube, the ambient experience offers a rich collection of wallpapers (some with motion) when your device is not in use. The feature also offers a variety of widgets to keep up with different information, such as the current weather. This feature was only available on Amazon’s Omni TV series.

There are different factors to consider when picking a streaming device for your home, and the Fire TV Stick is a no-brainer if you’ve chosen to go with an Amazon streamer. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a solid streaming device due to the perfect balance of features and price.

It offers more storage, supports 4K streaming (with various HDR formats included, like Dolby Vision and HDR10+), and allows you to play games via the cloud on Luna or Xbox Cloud Gaming. At its $60 price tag, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is worth every penny, and you should get it if you’re looking for a streaming device.