The New Fire TV Stick 4K Can't Run Kodi - Here's Which Fire Stick Still Can

Amazon's new Fire TV Stick 4K is faster and cheaper to run, but it can't install Kodi, TiviMate or any other app from outside Amazon's store.

The reason is the operating system: the new stick runs Vega OS, Amazon's own Linux-based system, instead of the Android-based Fire OS that every older Fire Stick used.

If sideloading is the reason you buy a Fire Stick, the one to get is the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

Everything else below explains what the new stick does well, what it drops, and what to do if you already bought one.

What Amazon Launched

The third-generation Fire TV Stick 4K went on sale on 30 September 2026 at $59.99, with a limited-time launch price of $29.99 in the US. It is shipping now in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and much of Europe, according to AFTVnews.

Inside is a quad-core 1.7GHz chip, 8GB of storage, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. It can draw power straight from your TV's USB port, so in most setups there is no wall plug to hunt for.

The remote is new too - an asymmetric shape with buttons you can tell apart by touch. Amazon says it reaches your content 20 to 40 percent faster than a similarly priced 4K stick from a rival brand.

What It Plays - And What It Drops

For video, the codec list is solid. It decodes H.264, HEVC (H.265), VP9 and AV1 at up to 4K and 60fps, so modern YouTube and Netflix streams play at full quality.

HDR is where it takes a step back. You get HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, but no Dolby Vision, which makes this the first 4K Fire Stick without it.

Dolby audio also changes. The stick does not decode Dolby itself and only passes it through to your TV or soundbar, so on a setup without Dolby support you may get stereo or no sound from some apps.

Why Kodi and IPTV Apps Won't Install

Vega OS cannot run Android apps at all, and there is no "Apps from Unknown Sources" switch. Apps come from the Amazon Appstore and nowhere else.

That rules out the usual Fire Stick toolkit. Kodi for Android, TiviMate and the Downloader app are all Android apps, and none of them has a Vega version.

Amazon has also said it is blocking apps identified as giving access to pirated content, on Fire OS devices as well as Vega ones. Legal IPTV players with your own playlist are not the target, but expect the app lists to keep changing.

What You Can Still Watch on Vega

The big streaming apps are there: Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube and Disney+ all have shortcut buttons on the remote. Amazon says the Vega Appstore has over 2,000 apps.

For your own files, the picture is better than it was a year ago. VLC arrived on Vega in July 2026 as an Early Access beta, with hardware decoding for H.264, HEVC, VP9 and AV1 and network browsing over SMB and UPnP.

Plex has an app, though at its 2025 launch it could only direct-play H.264 with AAC audio and had to transcode everything else. Jellyfin has no official app, but a free community client called Astra is in the Appstore.

Which Fire Stick Still Sideloads

Vega is not brand new - it first appeared on last year's Fire TV Stick 4K Select. The new 4K stick replaces both the 4K Select and the 4K Plus, which leaves one Android-based Fire Stick in the range.

The tell when buying is the name on the box. If it says plain "Fire TV Stick 4K" or "4K Select", it runs Vega; if it says "4K Max", it runs Fire OS and sideloads as before.

On a Fire OS stick, the classic route still works: install Downloader by AFTVnews, then grab Kodi or an IPTV player such as TiviMate.

Who Should Buy It, and Who Should Look Elsewhere

It is a good buy for someone who watches Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube and never installs anything else. At the launch price it is cheap, quick and plays AV1.

Look elsewhere if you use Kodi, an M3U playlist, a home media server or a Dolby Vision TV.

For any of those, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max or an Android TV or Google TV box is the better choice. Our best video player for Android TV guide covers what to put on it.

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