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If you've treated yourself to the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select, unveiled during a packed keynote event held by Amazon last month, there's something critical missing that you'll find on every other Fire TV device.
There's no support for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) on the Fire TV Stick 4K Select at launch. And you could be waiting a few weeks before you're able to run some of the best VPNs on the market.
Speaking to GB News, a spokesperson for NordVPN confirmed the omission: "At initial retail availability, the new Fire TV 4K Select running Vega OS won’t support VPN apps, so NordVPN won’t be available in the App Store on day one. Amazon plans to enable VPN protocols via a software update in late October. Our app is ready, and we’ll make it available in the Amazon Appstore for the new Fire TV devices as soon as that update goes live."
There's no confirmed release date for the software update that will enable VPN protocols on Fire TV Stick 4K Select, but it could take up to 18 days and still meet Amazon's deadline of a "late October" roll-out.
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VPNs have exploded in popularity in recent weeks. These applications can be used to add military-grade encryption to your internet connection, bolstering privacy when streaming, making video calls, or playing games. If you subscribe to a VPN that offers the ability to manually select a server anywhere in the world, it's possible to spoof your location to swerve geo-restrictions on certain streaming services.
This unlocks the ability to stream from the US catalogue on Netflix, for example. This has a bigger library of shows, documentaries and films, compared to the UK, due to the different licensing agreements for each country.
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It also enables Fire TV Stick owners to make it appear as if they're located in the UK when they're not, making it possible to stream UK-only services like BBC iPlayer when travelling abroad on holiday. You should always check the terms and conditions of any streaming service before using it in conjunction with a VPN.
With these two capabilities alone, it's not difficult to see why the lack of VPN support on Fire TV Stick 4K Select is such a big deal.
VPNs work by encrypting all of your online traffic before it's sent over the internet. This prevents your ISP, advertisers, hackers, and fraudsters from tracking your online activity, stealing your personal data, or placing restrictions on you | SURFSHARK PRESS OFFICE What makes this such a turnaround is that Amazon has always ingratiated itself with VPN fans due to its widespread compatibility with its entire portfolio, supporting the technology from day one.
One of its biggest competitors, Roku, has never permitted VPN applications on its devices, forcing you to configure your Wi-Fi router with one of these services if you want geo-unblocking capabilities on your streaming set-top box.
Google TV and Apple TV devices continue to support major VPN providers through their respective app stores.
If you value the flexibility to install VPN applications directly on your streaming device, you might find Amazon's previous Fire TV models more suitable than this new release, at least until we see the form that VPN support takes when it rolls-out worldwide.
The device operates on Amazon's newly developed Vega operating system, built on Linux rather than Android, which means every application must be completely rewritten from the ground up. Your existing Fire TV apps won't transfer over – developers must create entirely new versions for the platform.
NordVPN has already prepared its Vega-compatible application. However, Amazon's own timeline remains vague, with a company spokesperson merely stating they "expect to have VPN apps available on Fire TV 4K Select soon" without providing specific dates.
Amazon devices chief Panos Panay confirmed that all new hardware announced by Amazon last month was built from the ground-up for its new Alexa+ assistant | AMAZON PRESS OFFICE The Fire TV Stick 4K Select was unveiled last month as Amazon's most budget-friendly 4K streaming device, with pre-orders currently open and shipments expected from mid-October.
At £49.99, you'll get 4K streaming with HDR10+ support, though you'll miss out on premium features like Dolby Vision, Wi-Fi 6, and the 2GB of RAM found in pricier models.
The device includes just 1GB of RAM and Wi-Fi 5 connectivity, positioning it as an entry-level option in Amazon's lineup. If you're considering this purchase, you should know that even with NordVPN's late October estimate for VPN availability, you could face several weeks without access to your usual geo-unblocking and privacy tools after the device arrives.
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