Amazon won’t tell you about this downside of owning a Fire Stick, but I will

Summary

Fire TV Stick 4K Max serves as a solid streaming device but lacks access to digital libraries from Apple or Google.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max offers 16GB of storage and supports Xbox Game Pass, making it a versatile and affordable option.
Ensure you research the Fire TV Stick’s limitations; it’s good for streaming and gaming, but doesn’t link with Apple or Google libraries.

With so many streaming sticks and boxes available, it’s hard to stay on top of everything. Between offerings from Apple, Amazon, and Google, it’s tough to go wrong because all of them get the job done, but some do it better than others.

I’ve been looking for something to put down in my basement, and that’s what led me to the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. I figured it was something small that could plug into the old computer monitor I have acting as a TV down there, and it was something very affordable. I don’t go into my basement too often, so coming away with a cheap stick was something I didn’t want to pass up, especially as it hit the best price of the year.

All platforms have exclusivity issues, but the Fire TV stick has been the most egregious example I’ve come across so far. Apple and Android both have platforms that have been built over years that range from phones and tablets to streaming devices and laptops, so I can sort of excuse it there. Fire TV, on the other hand, can’t boast the same resume, so to see it lock out my Google Play purchases is a strange scenario. It’s a weird boat to be in, and if you’re looking for something that can play your purchases, you’re better off looking elsewhere. The FireOS is a tweaked version of the Android operating system, but it doesn’t support the Google Play Store.

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I wish I knew this before buying a Fire TV Stick

It’s not as great as it seems

For my specific situation, it’s not the end of the world as I have the Fire Stick as a third device, but I imagine other people would be upset to see the Fire TV not use their digital library from Apple or Google. I know I’d be very upset if I wanted to use this in my living room. There’s no way to cast anything to the Fire TV from my digital purchases, so it’s sort of locked into being a streaming device and nothing more outside of some interesting gaming features.

The Fire TV Stick is best suited as a way to watch your favorite streaming services like Max and Netflix. If you’re looking for something that can utilize your digital library, you’re better off looking somewhere else. This example is one of the bigger ones on why it’s difficult to buy into a digital library. If you don’t stick with a single company the entire time, you have no worries, but it’s murky when you look elsewhere. Not having your digital library is bad enough, but the fact you can’t even cast to the Fire TV Stick through Google is bad too. It’s a rough situation for sure, so I want everybody to know what they’re getting into.

I bought a Roku Ultra for my bedroom a few weeks before picking up a Fire Stick, and I figured, since Roku was in a similar boat as Fire TV where there’s not a defined ecosystem of phones and tablets, it would support third-party platforms. As it turns out, I just needed to do more research. I hope anybody reading this doesn’t run into the same issue as I did here. Luckily, I’m able to mitigate a lot of the damage by having other devices, but it could be a big slap in the face for somebody hoping to make the Fire TV Stick their main streaming device without knowing they have to leave behind their digital library. To be fair, Roku has the same problem, but it allows for Apple AirPlay where the Fire TV doesn’t work with Google or Apple.

Amazon Fire TV Stick against purple flames

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An Amazon Fire TV Stick and remote on a flat surface.

If you know the Fire TV’s limitations, there’s a really solid streaming device here. It has access to every major streaming service, so there’s nothing to worry about from that end. Even though it’s a tiny stick that plugs into the back of your TV, it still has 16 GB of storage. That’s more than enough to install what you need onto it and have plenty of space left over. On top of all that, you get access to things not found on other streaming devices.

The biggest example of this I’ve found so far is Xbox Game Pass support. With Microsoft’s push more and more into Cloud gaming, it’s interesting to see it come to a streaming device, and an Amazon one at that. It’s only available for the Fire TV Stick natively right now, and if you have a Game Pass subscription, you can fire up a game and start playing.

Luckily, I’m able to mitigate a lot of the damage by having other devices, but it could be a big slap in the face for somebody hoping to make the Fire TV Stick their main streaming device without knowing they have to leave behind their digital library.

I don’t know how many people have plans to pick up a streaming device to play games, but I see it as more of a nice secondary feature of the Fire TV Stick. Considering you can typically find a Fire TV 4K Max on sale for less than $50, it’s a good way to keep costs down while still keeping up with the latest games. There’s no way to plug in an Ethernet cord, so you need to make sure you have a good internet connection if you plan to go down this path. While that’s not a deal-breaker for many people, it’s sort of an issue for me as I want my Fire Stick down in the basement. That’s quite far from my modem and router setup, so the connection isn’t as rock-solid as I want, but I excuse it since it’s not my main viewing area. Running an Ethernet cord would be a way around this, but the Fire Stick doesn’t give me that option.

Having good internet applies to streaming in general, so chances are good that if your shows and movies stream with solid quality, then you shouldn’t have a problem with Game Pass games either. I wouldn’t plan on making a Fire Stick my main way of gaming, but it’s good if you’re traveling or want to play something for a few minutes. It sure is nice not to have to install a huge update as all of these games are ready to go within seconds of loading up the Game Pass app. If that sounds nice, and you want something to stream without taking advantage of a digital library, the Fire TV Stick is a very good option.