New Fire TV Operating System Rolling Out on Select Devices, Confirming Shift Away from Android
According to a job posting, Amazon is looking for a software engineer to help it implement its new Vega OS.
The winds of change are blowing at Amazon. After years of using an Android-based operating system for its Fire TV streaming devices and smart TV sets, the company has begun rolling out the new Vega operating system (OS), which was first reported as a new competitor to Android and Apple-based operating systems last November.
- A job listing from Amazon indicated it was looking for a new software engineer to help implement its Vega OS.
- The new OS has already come to select Amazon Echo Show 5 devices.
- Streaming operators and other content providers would have to create new apps for Amazon Fire TV devices using Vega, but they may not have any choice.
Is Amazon’s New Vega OS Confirmed?
It does indeed appear that the Vega OS has begun rolling out on Amazon Fire TV devices. Zatz Not Funny! reports that third-generation Amazon Echo Show 5 devices are already using the new operating system, and that it highly resembles the old OS in terms of user interface and experience.
AFTVNews also points to a job posting by Amazon that has since been removed which called for a new software engineer to “Implement and deliver features on the Fire TV client codebase as it transitions from FOS/Android to native/Rust and React Native.” Initial reports about Amazon’s Vega OS stated it would use the React Native software framework, so this is yet another confirmation that Amazon wants to start rolling out its new OS on more devices.
From the standpoint of streamers like Netflix, Disney+, and others, a new Amazon Fire TV operating system would not exactly be ideal. It would necessitate the creation of brand-new apps to interface with the new OS, as the current Android-based apps for Fire TV devices would no longer be operable. Netflix recently refused to create a native streaming app for new Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headsets, but it may not have the same luxury with Fire TV devices; Amazon announced in 2023 that it had sold over 200 million Fire TV devices worldwide.
Why is Amazon Creating Its Own Operating System?
The launch of the Vega OS on Fire TV devices is essentially a pressing of the reset button by Amazon. It would allow the company to keep more advertising revenue for itself, instead of sharing them with Google, and it would allow for more frequent updates to Fire TV devices using the operating system. Many Fire TV devices are currently running on an OS based on a years-old version of Android TV.
AFTVNews speculates that current Fire TV device owners might not see the new operating system installed on their TV or streaming device, as Amazon does not even roll out new versions of the Fire TV OS to all devices currently. That could necessitate a new line of smart TVs and streaming devices that run on Vega as opposed to Fire TV’s software, which would in turn allow Amazon to collect more revenue from the sale of those devices.
If you’re a Fire TV device owner, the best way to see whether or not you’re getting Vega OS on your device is to continue using it regularly for the next few months. The implementation of the Vega OS is still in its early stages, but it’s confirmed beyond doubt that Amazon is creating an operating system of its own.
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