Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select Review: Cheap 4K, Closed Vega OS

The Fire TV Stick 4K Select is for people with a 4K TV whose built-in apps have become slow, and who only watch the big streaming services. Reviewers describe it as smooth and simple, and the remote is easy for elders. The trade-off is that it runs Amazon’s new Vega OS instead of Android, so you can’t sideload apps, and Amazon cut it down to 1 GB RAM, Wi-Fi 5 and no Dolby Vision to hit its price.

Which apps work on Vega OS in India?

According to Digit’s review, Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, JioHotstar, SonyLIV and Zee5 are all available, along with Amazon Music and Amazon Kids+. Amazon’s launch note also mentions free, ad-supported live sports and news channels. Plex runs, but with fewer settings than on Android. Apps that exist only as Android APKs won’t run unless their developers rebuild them for Vega OS.

Can I sideload apps or use Kodi?

No. Vega OS is Linux-based and can’t install Android APKs. Digit reports that unknown-source installs and Developer Options are closed to regular users. AFTVnews found a developer-registration workaround, but the apps they installed that way stopped launching later. If you use Kodi, Jellyfin, IPTV players or game-streaming apps, buy the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus instead.

Is it fast enough with only 1 GB RAM?

Mostly. Digit found menus smooth and apps quick to open, with 4K Netflix and Prime Video playing reliably and frame-rate matching working. It also saw occasional stutters and one freeze that needed a forced restart. Other launch reviews broadly describe it as smoother than the older budget Fire TV sticks it replaces.

How good is the picture compared with Dolby Vision?

It supports HDR10 and HDR10+, not Dolby Vision. On a Sony OLED, Digit’s reviewer found HDR10+ content looked comparable to Dolby Vision. The catch is that a title an app streams in Dolby Vision on other devices will play in plain HDR10 here, so owners of Dolby Vision TVs lose a feature they paid for.

Will it run hot inside a TV cabinet?

Digit noted mild warmth during use. That is normal for a streaming stick, but in a closed wooden cabinet in an Indian summer, heat builds up. Leave the back of the TV open to air, or use a short HDMI extender so the stick sits away from the TV’s own vents.

What we could not verify

Amazon has not published a long-term commitment on which apps will come to Vega OS, and we found no data on how its performance holds up over years of updates. Buyers who keep a streaming stick for five years should weigh that risk.