Ahead of its upcoming October Prime Day Sale, Amazon has dropped the price on its Fire TV Sticks. Most notably, the Fire TV Stick 4K is down to $24.99 (originally $50) and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is down to $34.99 (originally $60). So why do you need one of these dongles if you already have a TV with a built-in smart interface? Well, the Fire TV Stick 4K models feature a really awesome perk: They now support Xbox Cloud Gaming so you can play Xbox games without ever needing to go out and purchase a console.
Up to 50% Off Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
According to Xbox Wire, the Xbox app was made available for the Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max starting July of this year. Through this app, gamers can log into their account and access games that are available through Xbox Cloud Gaming. Not every game supports Xbox Cloud Gaming, but the list includes hundreds of titles like Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Starfield, Fortnite, Mortal Kombat 11, and more.
Because you're connecting to a remote server that hosts the game itself, your Fire TV Stick isn't using any of its processing power to run the game, which is why you don't need a powerful Xbox console to play. This is an excellent low-cost alternative to console or PC gaming, however there are some conditions:
- You'll need to be an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber
- You'll need a Bluetooth controller
- You'll want a very fast and stable Wi-Fi connection
Which Fire TV Stick should you choose?
If you're intending to get the Fire TV Stick specifically for Xbox Cloud Gaming, I'd recommend you spend the extra $10 to get the 4K Max. It has the most powerful processor, but more importantly, it supports the Wi-Fi 6E protocol. The speed and reliability of your internet connection will directly correlate with your cloud gaming experience.
Don't have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate? It's on sale.
Woot! (which is owned by Amazon) is offering the best deal on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Right now you can get a three month code for only $36.49. Earlier this year, Microsoft raised the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $19.99 per month, so now you're saving 40% off a three-month membership. Note that you can purchase multiple codes and apply them to your account, up to a maximum of 36 months. If you're an Xbox gamer, this is a great way to save a lot of money in the long run since you won't have to buy new release games individually to play them.
If you're looking for more deals, Amazon has discounted most of their Echo, Fire TV, Fire Tablet, and Kindle devices. Check out the full list of early Prime Day Amazon device deals with savings of up to 50% off.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
