I’ve said it in 2021, and I’ll say it again – the Fire TV 4K Max is an excellent streaming device, and the new 2nd generation is even (a bit) better. It’s fast, it supports almost every streaming app in existence, and it comes with Amazon’s useful voice assistant built-in.

The big question of the day is “Which 4K Fire TV Stick is right for you?” If it’s between these two Fire TV sticks, I say spend the extra $10 for the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, because it’s a more future-proof model. As the number of wireless devices only increases in our homes, it only makes sense to buy the tech that supports your next router.

The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a good streaming stick hampered by the Amazon-centric interface

There’s not much to complain about here. I’ll mention the lag again, because it’s probably the biggest opportunity for improvement, even if it’s the one that’s hitting a development ceiling the quickest. (And it’s also not a unique problem — Google hits the same wall with the low-cost Chromecast with Google TV.)