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HBO Max is ending support for older Amazon Fire TV devices running on Fire OS 5. This means that millions of users of older streaming boxes and sticks may lose access to one of the most popular VOD platforms. The issue mainly concerns devices sold up to 2020, which Amazon has not practically updated for a long time.
Older Fire TVs lose access to HBO Max due to lack of updates
According to new information, HBO Max has raised the minimum system requirements from Fire OS 5 to Fire OS 6. The problem is that Amazon has effectively never updated older Fire TV devices to new versions of the system. As a result, a huge number of devices have been permanently locked to Fire OS 5 and there is no possibility of an official update. The most affected are said to be older models of the Fire TV Stick, including the very popular second generation of the device. This is yet another major streaming app withdrawing support for these devices. Netflix previously made a similar decision, ending the operation of its app on these devices in 2025. Everything suggests that the list of unavailable platforms will continue to grow.
Amazon increasingly distances itself from old devices and Android
The situation is further complicated by Amazon's change of strategy. The company is increasingly transitioning from the Android-based Fire OS to its own Vega OS system based on Linux. The new Fire TV devices are already set to use Vega OS, which necessitates rewriting streaming applications specifically for the new platform. Older Fire TV devices have long ceased to receive full technical support, and some users even accuse Amazon of deliberately "killing off" the hardware through a lack of updates and the phasing out of features. For many users, this may mean having to replace their device with a newer streamer, such as Apple TV 4K or Google TV Streamer, if they want to continue using all the popular VOD services.
source: flatpanelshd
