What you need to know
- Amazon says VegaOS will not replace Fire OS and confirms its Android-based system is staying for now.
- Sideloading on Fire TV has fueled piracy concerns, prompting tighter controls on newer devices.
- VegaOS is designed for lower-end hardware, while Fire OS continues powering mainstream Fire TV models.
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Despite rumors and Amazon debuting a new non-Android-based VegaOS on the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, the company has confirmed that it is not giving up on its Android-based Fire OS for streaming devices just yet.
Amazon Fire TVs have been under scrutiny recently after the company began cracking down on piracy apps on Fire TV devices. Earlier this week, Amazon confirmed it would start restricting all piracy-related apps, including those installed from outside the Appstore, after a report from The Athletic showed that Fire TV devices were the second most common source of illegal sports streams in the UK.
Amazon says the crackdown has already begun in Germany and France and will expand to more regions soon.
This surge in piracy has been possible on Fire TV devices due to how easy it is to install third-party apps. Amazon has made sideloading simple on its Android-based Fire TV devices, and as a result, the number of piracy apps on Fire TV has grown.
With Amazon now cracking down on third-party apps and launching the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select, which supports installing apps only from the official Appstore, rumors suggested Amazon might abandon its Android-based OS entirely. However, that does not appear to be the case.
Amazon confirmed to Android Authority that VegaOS will not replace the Android based Fire TV OS. Instead, the new OS is meant not to replace but to "extend" it.
Amazon says it is a "multi-OS company" and Fire OS is not going anywhere. The company explains that VegaOS is designed for devices with lower end hardware to ensure apps and the overall experience run smoothly.
The company has not confirmed whether it plans to bring VegaOS to more Fire TV models or higher end hardware, which could indicate the end of sideloading on future devices. For now, though, Android based Fire OS remains in place, even if that could change in the coming months.
