“Starting with Fire TV Stick 4K Select, all future Fire TV Sticks will run on Vega.” This announcement from Amazon signals a major shift in the company’s approach to streaming devices.
As of now, all upcoming Fire TV devices will operate on Vega OS. This new system is built directly on Linux, differing significantly from the Android-based Fire OS used previously.
The first device to utilize Vega OS was the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, launched in October 2025. Following closely, the new Fire TV Stick HD was released in April 2026 and also runs on this operating system.
Vega OS does not support sideloading of apps. Users looking for this feature will need to adjust their expectations. Details remain unconfirmed regarding Amazon’s plans to address this limitation.
Currently, Amazon’s App Store lists approximately 3,000 apps available for Vega OS devices. In contrast, Android-based Fire TV sticks offer around 40,000 apps. This gap highlights potential challenges for users transitioning to the new system.
Additionally, Vega OS lacks support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos audio—features that many users have come to expect in modern streaming devices. To mitigate this shortcoming, Amazon is streaming some Android-based Fire OS apps in the cloud on Vega OS.
The new Fire TV Stick HD model is also designed to be more efficient. It is 30% slimmer and over 30% faster than its predecessor. These improvements may appeal to consumers looking for enhanced performance.
Amazon has been developing Vega OS for years, initially testing it on Echo Show smart displays before bringing it to the Fire TV lineup. As of now, all future models are confirmed to run on this cloud-based operating system.
