Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. Android
  4. Legacy Archives

Fire TV adds tablet games, Android mirroring to its bag of tricks

By
Add as a preferred source on Google

Amazon’s Fire TV streaming device scored another victory in the race for set-top box dominance today, announcing an update that allows users who optioned to buy its compatible gaming controller the ability to play “tablet style games.” In addition, the Fire TV added guest display mirroring, allowing any user with a compatible Miracast-enabled mobile device to send content to the big screen viathe box.

Users who want to take advantage of the Fire TV’s expanding crop of games will need to allow their set-top box to update its software, if auto-update hasn’t taken care of the download already. Users can prompt a manual software update by clicking ‘Settings’ from the Home screen, then selecting ‘System.’ In the System window, click on the ‘About’ tab, and select ‘Check for System Update’, which will auto-prompt the download.

Recommended Videos

After the download is complete, new games will become available in the Play Games & Apps window. From there, simply troll the new list of games, download, and start playing. If you haven’t already bought the separate game controller for your Fire TV, this might be a great time to pony up $40 to get one, or you can use a Nyko PlayPad Pro or an Xbox 360 wired controller. We reached out to Amazon for more specifics, and the company said it currently has 44 tablet games “optimized for Fire TV.”

Guest display mirroring is another handy new feature for Amazon’s fledgeling device, allowing any user with a compatible device to display their mobile screen and accompanying audio on the big screen via the Fire TV. Previously, the mobile device to be mirrored also had to be registered to the same Amazon account as the Fire TV. Compatible devices include Android devices running 4.2 Jelly Bean or higher, the Fire HDX tablet and, if you happen to own one, the Fire Phone.

In addition to those new talents, Amazon also now allows U.S. and U.K. Fire TV users to bring the Fire TV across the pond for extended travel. The device was previously relegated to its country of origin.

The Fire TV game controller is available at Amazon.

Update 11/4/2014: This post has been updated to add new information after reaching out to Amazon for specifics.

Ryan Waniata
Ryan Waniata
Former Home Theater & Entertainment Editor
Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…
Topics
Spotify’s Playlist Notes makes it easier to add context to your favorite picks
Ever wonder why a song landed on your favorite playlist? Now you can just ask, or answer it yourself.
Spotify notes feature

If you have ever wondered why a specific song made its way to a playlist, Spotify’s new Playlist Notes feature is here to help. The feature lets editors and users add context to their songs, podcasts, and audiobook picks. 

The feature joins the long line of playlist improvements, including custom cover art, the ability to organize playlists into folders, and smooth transitions between tracks, that make it easier to personalize your listening experience and make your playlists feel more like your own.

Read more
Supreme put its box logo on JBL’s tiny speakers, because just red wasn’t enough
Supreme’s JBL Go 5 collab may be the most predictable red gadget ever
JBL Go 5 Supreme Speaker Featured

Supreme apparently looked at JBL’s red Go series speakers and decided it simply wasn’t red in the right way. The streetwear brand has revealed a special-edition JBL Go 5 as part of its Fall/Winter 2026 collection. It arrives in Supreme’s signature red, with an enormous white Supreme logo across the front.

There are also white controls along the top and JBL branding woven into the integrated lanyard. JBL already sells its regular Go 5 in red, so the collaboration isn't making any drastic changes.

Read more
CMF’s next earbuds are coming, and I have a pretty good guess what they are
CMF teases new wireless earbuds that could be the Buds Pro 3
Photography, Body Part, Finger

Nothing's budget-focused spinoff brand CMF has started teasing its next pair of wireless earbuds, and while the company is keeping the name to itself for now, there is a good chance we are looking at the successor to the CMF Buds Pro 2.

The teaser posted on CMF’s official X account shows a single in-ear earbud from the bottom. It has a metallic silver finish, a stem with what appear to be two microphone openings, and a silicone eartip finished in CMF’s signature orange. CMF simply calls it “a hint of what’s next,” without revealing a launch date or any specifications.

Read more