We’ve known that digital goods purveyor amazon was set to reveal its new console soon, though we had no real details of just what the console would be. Rumour suggested it would be an Android-based set-top box that would stream not only games, but movies and TV shows as well. Rumour, this time, was right on the money. Amazon’s new Fire TV happens to be an Android-based set-top box that will stream not only games, but movies and TV shows as well.
It’s teeny tiny, and packs in some pretty impressive specs. Fire TV plugs straight in to your HDTV via HDMI, has 2GB of RAM, a dedicated GPU and a 1.7 Ghz quad-core processor. It packs 8gbs of internal storage. It also has dual-band, dual-antenna WiFi, high definition 1080p video support and outputs Dolby Digital Plus surround sound.
So it’s very much like an Apple TV or Roku – only with much better specifications. For the same price. Amazon’s Fire TV is shipping right now for $99. If you want to get in on the gaming, you’ll have to buy the controller separately, which ships at $39.
Amazon promises that By next month, thousands of games, from developers and publishers like Mojang, Ubisoft and Take-Two will be available to play. Games will largely be priced between $1.85 and $2.
Amazon will also be developing its own games. The company recently purchased Strider reboot and Killer Instinct developer Double Helix, and word is that Portal creator Kim Swift and Far Cry 2 designer Clint Hocking have both joined the company’s games division. It’s even getting its own exclusive games, the first of which is called Sev Zero, and is free with the console. It’s a hybrid tower-defense and third-person shooter.
“In Sev Zero, players can jump between environments—start in tower defense mode to build out towers and assess the surroundings, and then beam down to shooter mode for face-to-face combat against the Ne’ahtu. Players can also bring friends and family into the action with the Sev Zero companion tablet app, Sev Zero: Air Support. With this multi-player, multi-screen experience, players help each other thwart the enemies—one player is in Air Support mode initiating air strikes from their tablet while the other player is in face-to-face combat mode.”
The Fire TV comes with its own remote control, which has voice control, allowing you to search for shows, actors or other meta information using just your beautiful voice.
Media streaming apps headed to the Fire TV include Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon’s own Instant Video with more on the way, like Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, HBO Go, SHO Anytime, Pandora and presumably, even more. .
It’s available to purchase from Amazon right now but they’re not shipping to South Africa at the moment.
Last Updated: April 3, 2014
Francois Knoetze
April 3, 2014 at 08:51
aww dammit!! would have liked to order this!!
Hammersteyn
April 3, 2014 at 08:53
Not sure who would buy this, but going on the controller design (which is butt ugly and cheap looking) and the support for Netflix and so on it seems like they want a piece of the XBOX One market what with it being a all in one entertainment system. But for why less the the XBOX One’s asking price.
Rince
April 3, 2014 at 09:08
Agreed, it looks like a controller made by some cheap Chinese knock off store.
Mark Treloar
April 3, 2014 at 09:36
As apposed to the genuine Chinese originals.
Rince
April 3, 2014 at 08:57
Yeah… NO. Why buy this? I mean really? When you have a PC and can link it to flipping everything, you want this piece of cheap looking tech in your home? Waste of bloody money.
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
April 3, 2014 at 08:59
I want one for the tv in my bedroom. for streaming netflix, hulu etc.
Hammersteyn
April 3, 2014 at 09:11
Makes sense. Now I want one! But only for the bedroom
Rince
April 3, 2014 at 09:13
Suck up bitch.
Hammersteyn
April 3, 2014 at 09:39
Scoring brownie points for the next giveaway
Mark Treloar
April 3, 2014 at 09:40
Random brownie points?
Hammersteyn
April 3, 2014 at 09:53
Any points, I wanna win!
Rince
April 3, 2014 at 09:41
Won’t work. LG don’t reward regulars 🙁
Mark Treloar
April 3, 2014 at 09:37
Maybe you and Geoff should get a room together.
Hammersteyn
April 3, 2014 at 09:38
Maybe, but only if he likes to spoon.
Unavengedavo
April 3, 2014 at 10:16
*I want one for the tv in my bedroom. for streaming netflix, hulu etc. PORN
Fixed it for you 😀
Dutch Matrix
April 3, 2014 at 10:34
Hopefully in the bedroom, he makes his own porn oh no wait.
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 3, 2014 at 08:57
What types of games is it supposed to play? Mobile stuff?
Rince
April 3, 2014 at 08:59
Come on bro, it has a whopping 2gigs of RAM!
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 3, 2014 at 08:59
Is that a lot?
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
April 3, 2014 at 08:59
which is 4 times the ram on the apple TV…and the Xbox 360/PS3
Rince
April 3, 2014 at 09:03
Just another peripheral. If we all had Xbox Ones we wouldn’t need this. Tehehehehe
Norm the Horrible
April 3, 2014 at 09:06
But will it play Crysis?
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 3, 2014 at 09:07
I wonder how much they’re losing on each unit.
Rince
April 3, 2014 at 09:08
HAHAHAHAH! 😉
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 3, 2014 at 09:17
I wasn’t joking. I assume this is a loss leader & the money comes from the content.
Rikus
April 3, 2014 at 09:13
Looks interesting. Just might get this, unless Sony decides to launch the VitaTV here.
Rock789
April 3, 2014 at 09:27
That controller… Where have I seen it before…? 😉
Yeah, me thinks a copyright infringement lawsuit is on the horizon for the controller. Otherwise, I honestly don’t get the point of this… Geez, seems everyone is trying to cash in on the console / tv wars!
Rince
April 3, 2014 at 09:42
Agreed. My thoughts exactly. Let’s get a room. No, wait what?
Rock789
April 3, 2014 at 09:44
o_O
**quietly backs away… And readys Rambo-sized hunting knife…**
Rince
April 3, 2014 at 09:48
Hehe. Was referencing ol Hammer boy above. I promise! Let me make it up to you, here are some flowers, no, what?
MakeItLegal
April 3, 2014 at 10:14
Do we have the bandwidth or data centers to support this ? Doesn’t sound to bad off the bat
Brett Gould
April 3, 2014 at 10:29
I suppose living in the third world country they call South Africa is the reason we are so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to getting new Technologies No idea why Amazon will not ship to South Africa but I am sure they have there good reason. Who know maybe one day in the not to far future we will also be allowed to be able the latest 1920 technology and it will be shipped to us. Only time will tell, but in the meantime the rest of the world expect us to continue shopping on-line and supporting all the other First World Countries to make sure they have the latest and greatest toys.
From a sad South African.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
April 3, 2014 at 11:26
Sounds to me like they took the boner’s “TV, TV, TV, Sports, Call of duty, TV, Water cooler” concept principles to heart….
I did like where they took a dig at Microsoft over its paywall (xbox live), that was funny though, but overall, it’s not really a console or a device that I’m particularly interested in.
FoxOneZA
April 3, 2014 at 11:56
Oprah is old news. Her protige, Lindsey Lohan will put the Fire into Fire TV 😉