Advertisement

Google and Amazon bring the YouTube app back to Fire TV

This includes support for 4K HDR videos.

Months after Amazon and Google ended their fight over streaming video, the official YouTube app is once again available on Fire TV devices. As of today, some Fire TV devices (multiple Fire TV Stick variants and the Fire TV Cube) and TV sets (from Element, Insignia, Toshiba and Westinghouse) can natively play videos, keep tabs on subscriptions and otherwise do what... well, most other YouTube-equipped devices can do. This includes playback for 4K HDR video at 60 frames per second, not to mention expanded Alexa integration -- you don't have to mention YouTube by name if you're already inside the app.

More Fire TV devices will receive the YouTube app in the "coming months," so don't be disheartened if yours doesn't support the service right away.

Combined with support for Prime Video on Android TV and Chromecast (more on that in a separate story), this is welcome news for fans of connected living rooms. You no longer have to jump through hoops to use Google's video service on Amazon devices, or vice versa. In other words, you can stick to a single device ecosystem without having to jump through hoops to enjoy the shows you like.