While the whole world knows about Amazon's Fire TV Stick, there's another Fire TV device that doesn't get as much time in the limelight. That's perhaps unfair because the Fire TV Cube is the most accomplished of Amazon's TV devices. It's better connected and offers far more functionality while supporting almost all the features of the stick.
I stream pretty much all of my TV content and living in a house with teenagers, every screen is connected and streaming something pretty much all the time. I'm also a big user of Amazon's Fire TV devices. So I'm going to tell you why the Fire TV Cube is an exciting streaming device and how it can enhance your TV-watching experience.
Amazon Fire TV Cube: At a glance
Pros
- Hands-free Alexa voice control
- Wired connection
- Great quality
- Lots of streaming services
Cons
- Expensive compared to Fire TV Stick
- No support for Xbox app
- HDMI cable not supplied
Key specifications
| Connectivity | HDMI in/out, wifi 6e, Ethernet, USB, IR extender |
|---|---|
| Streaming services | All major UK streaming services |
| Quality | 4K HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos |
| Dimensions | 8.6 x 8.6 x 7.7cm |
| Weight | 513g |
Amazon Fire TV Cube review
As the name suggests, the Fire TV Cube is shaped like a cube, but finished like an Amazon Echo with a mesh cover and blue lights when you talk to it. As a larger device, this is technically a set-top box, designed to stay visible once you've connected it to your TV. The setup here includes connecting it to your TV via HDMI (cable not supplied), connecting it to the power and then connecting it to your network.
Unlike most of the streaming sticks on the market, it has an Ethernet connection on the back so it can be wired into your home network. That can mean a more stable connection, but also means those with poor wifi can run a cable to this device instead. It also supports wifi 6e for a strong and stable wireless connection, if your router supports it.
You'll have to sign into your Amazon account to use the Fire TV Cube before walking through the setup process for your TV, connected devices and the remote. You'll then get to install the streaming services you want, remembering that for each of them (except Prime Video) you'll have to sign in. In many cases, this can be done by scanning a QR code on the screen and then using your phone.
Amazon Fire TV Cube: Features
The streaming experience offered by the Fire TV Cube is essentially the same as you'll get on the Fire TV 4K Max. The interface is the same, the apps are the same and the experience is the same, including the top-quality Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support, if you have compatible hardware. If that's all you're after, then the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is half the price.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max also supports Xbox Cloud Gaming, which is one thing that the Fire TV Cube won't do.
Where the Fire TV Cube is different is that it offers more features. Firstly, while you have an Alexa button on the remote, the Fire TV Cube supports Alexa hands-free, so you can speak as you would to any other Echo device, with the results appearing on your television and coming through your TV's speakers (or a TV sound system, if you have one).
Then there's an additional HDMI port on the rear of the Fire TV Cube. This means you can connect your games console, cable box or Blu-ray player, switch it using voice and use one remote (as long as it supports control via HDMI, which most modern devices do). This makes the Fire TV Cube much more of a central hub for your TV.
Then there's the option to connect a USB drive to the Fire TV Cube meaning you can play video or view photos from an external source. The video of my daughter's dance performance came on a USB stick, so I could just plug it in and start watching on the TV, with minimal fuss.
Finally, there's the option for an IR extender. This allows control of devices using infrared (which is what comes out of most remote controls), so you can control devices via the Fire TV Cube while they are hidden away. Normally, you'd have to point a remote at a device (like a cable box) to change the channel, but an IR extender means your cable box can be out of sight, with the extender carrying that signal to it instead.
All of these features make the Fire TV Cube an ideal hub for the centre of your TV system. It's not just about streaming, it's about control across a wider range of devices, using the Fire TV instead. That's what makes it appealing, beyond just catching up with the latest shows on Netflix.
Good Housekeeping's verdict on the Fire TV Cube
The Fire TV Cube offers a comprehensive array of enhancements for your TV, allowing wider control of devices, hands-free Alexa interaction, a wired connection and the advantages of an IR extender. It allows you to switch and control devices using your voice, which other Fire TV devices do not.
So, the Fire TV Cube is perfect if you have greater demands from your home entertainment setup. It still offers all the high-quality streaming features that the Fire TV Stick 4K Max does (except Xbox Cloud Gaming).
The decision comes down to what you need: if it's just streaming, get the Fire TV Stick. But if it's wider control and hands-free Alexa, build the Cube into your setup.
Chris Hall is a freelance journalist who specialises in consumer technology, pursuing a passion that started over 20 years ago. In 2008 he took on a full-time Reviews Editor position at technology website Pocket-lint.com, before stepping up to Editor-in-Chief in 2012. Chris led coverage over a 15-year tenure, exposing him to every gadget, system and technology you'd ever want to know about.
Chris left the Editor-in-Chief position at Pocket-lint.com in 2023 having published over 4,000 articles on consumer technology. His experience covers everything from smartphones and headphones to cars and computers. Chris doesn't just test for reviews, he lives with a lot of technology, building a smart home and looking for a simpler solution to a connected home. This is much to his family's irritation, because everything is always changing, especially the remote controls.
As a freelance writer, Chris has contributed to The Telegraph, T3.com, TechRadar and Autocar -while launching his own technology website The Disconnekt – writing news about the latest technology, guides to help people make the best choices when shopping for technology, as well as reviewing extensively.
Chris has appeared on BBC News and Sky News, BBC Radio and The Times Radio talking technology, and even once played a part on The Apprentice. Chris has also been an expert judge at the GSMA Global Mobile Awards and the Uswitch Awards.
When not writing about technology or rearranging the technology in his home, Chris can be found on his bike, trying to get lost in the Surrey hills.
