The Amazon Fire TV is a media player device from Amazon with streaming capabilities. It connects to TVs and provides all capabilities as other rivals like Roku, Chromecast and Apple TV. This device was launched by the company over seven months ago and it has proved to be a hit with users all over. Amazon recently launched an update for this device which will allow for tablet games to be played on the Fire TV.
The updated device will feature an all new subcategory of tablet games in the menu. An additional accessory, a Bluetooth device from Amazon called the fire Game will feature as the controller for these touch based games. The accessory will need to be purchased separately. This will allow for a vast selection of tablet games to be played using a modified controller operation. The Fire TV can also be controlled using other controllers including the wired controller of the Xbox 360 or a PlayPad Pro from Nyko.
Another feature of this update is the addition of screen mirroring abilities to the device. The updated device can be now used for mirroring and sharing contents from tablets, the Amazon Fire phones, and also from any Android device running any version higher than 4.2. Earlier, the mobile devices used in the mirroring application required the same Amazon account for registration as used with the Fire TV. The new update does away with that. A new subcategory termed as Fire TV as mirroring destination will be available in the menu post the update. Users can find out more details about mirroring capacities there.
This new update will also enable users to use the Fire TV across the countries of UK and the US. Earlier, the device was confined to be used only in the original country registered. Now users can carry and use their device across these locations even over extended time periods. While only these two countries are featured as of now, Amazon hopes to add on to this list. A new menu subcategory shows up after the update and users can find out more about the feature there.
More details regarding the update were provided by Amazon in an official press release. Amazon reported to have 44 games to be listed under the tablet games category. These have already been optimized for performance with the Fire TV and more games will soon be added to the list.
The new update for the Fire TV will automatically be installed on the device once users connect it to the Internet. The version of the update is 51.1.4.0. For users who have trouble with the auto update, manual settings can also be used to check for and install system updates. New games can then be selected from and purchased from a new window titled Play Games.
Other products that Amazon has launched under the Fire brand include the HDX tablet and the Fire phone. The Fire game controller costs only $39. All related products of the fire brand are available on Amazon.