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The Fire TV remote is about to look a lot more like a Roku's.
Eli Blumenthal is a senior editor at CNET with a particular focus on covering the ever-changing worlds of streaming and telecom. He previously worked as a technology reporter at USA Today.
Amazon is giving its Fire TV remote a refresh, making it easier to quickly open apps for Netflix, Disney Plus and Hulu as well as its own Prime Video.
The updated remote, revealed on Wednesday, will come included with new purchases of the third-generation Fire TV Stick (but not the Fire TV Stick 4K or Cube ). In addition to the colorful Roku-like quick shortcuts, the controller features a new blue button for summoning Alexa as well as an added guide button for accessing live TV from services like YouTube TV or Sling TV.
Those who want to add it to their existing Fire TV setups can purchase it separately for $30, with the remote becoming available on April 14.
While an upgrade for some, Amazon notes that the new remote is not compatible with the first- and second-generation Fire TV boxes or the first-generation Fire TV Stick. It also won't work with Fire TV Edition smart TVs that run on Amazon's television software.