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We want you to know
To benefit from Wi-Fi 6E, a compatible Wi-Fi 6E router, like the eero Pro 6E, is required. Fire TV Stick 4K Max is also compatible with earlier wifi routers.
Dolby Atmos is only available on select streaming services when connected to compatible equipment.
Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced includes 4 pre-programmed app buttons including Netflix and Prime Video; other two app buttons will vary.
All-new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max streaming device, supports Wi-Fi 6E, free & live TV without cable or satellite
Sustainability features
This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.
Carbon emissions from the lifecycle of this product were reduced compared to similar products or previous models.
The Reducing CO2 label applies to products certified by the Carbon Trust, that are lowering their carbon emissions year after year for the full lifecycle of the product. The Carbon Trust was formed in 2001 and introduced the world’s first carbon label in 2007. It produces its certifications to global leading and independently verified standards. The Carbon Trust has a mission to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low carbon economy.
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Purchase options and add-ons
- Elevate your entertainment experience with a powerful processor for lightning-fast app starts and fluid navigation.
- Enjoy the show in 4K Ultra HD, with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and immersive Dolby Atmos audio.
- Enjoy smoother 4K streaming, even when other devices are connected to your router.
- The first-ever streaming stick with Fire TV Ambient Experience lets you display over 2,000 pieces of museum-quality art and photography.
- Control compatible devices like cameras, lights, and more with your remote. Press and ask Alexa to check the weather or dim the lights.
- Fire TV Stick 4K Max has 16GB of storage—double that of Fire TV Stick 4K and our other streaming sticks, for even more apps, games and downloads.
- Stream more than 1.5 million movies and TV episodes. Watch favorites from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, and more, plus listen to millions of songs. Subscription fees may apply.
- Control your TV and connected devices with an upgraded remote that includes voice control, a recents button, and dedicated channel buttons to surf live TV.
- Enjoy fluid gameplay and fast-rendering graphics with a lightning-fast processor. Access popular games with an Amazon Luna subscription—no console required.
- Receive a 6-month subscription to MGM+, including access to thousands of Hollywood movies and Original series with your Fire TV purchase. Terms apply.
Smart home devices for you
"Alexa, turn on the lights."
Control the lights with your voice.
Customers also bought these items from Amazon Devices
- Climate Pledge FriendlyProducts with trusted sustainability certification(s). Learn more
PRODUCT CERTIFICATION (1)
Reducing CO2 products reduce their carbon footprint year after year. Certified by the Carbon Trust.
- Climate Pledge FriendlyProducts with trusted sustainability certification(s). Learn more
PRODUCT CERTIFICATION (1)
Reducing CO2 products reduce their carbon footprint year after year. Certified by the Carbon Trust.
- Climate Pledge FriendlyProducts with trusted sustainability certification(s). Learn more
PRODUCT CERTIFICATION (1)
Reducing CO2 products reduce their carbon footprint year after year. Certified by the Carbon Trust.
Our most powerful
4K streaming stick
Level up your 4K Ultra HD entertainment with a powerful 2.0 GHz quad-core processor for lightning-fast app starts, next-gen Wi-Fi 6E support for smoother streaming, and double the storage for even more downloads. Choose from over 1.5 million movies and TV episodes and control it all with the press of a button. Plus, Fire TV Ambient Experience brings atmosphere to any room.
Wi-Fi 6E Support
Fire TV Ambient Experience
Dolby Vision.Atmos
HDR10+
16GB Storage
Press and Ask Alexa
Smart Home
Cloud Gaming
Unlock a complete
4K Ultra HD experience
From playoffs to premieres, experience it all like you're there with support for cinematic 4K Ultra HD. Experience vivid color and brightness with support for Dolby Vision and HDR 10+, and immersive sound with Dolby Atmos. Add compatible Echo speakers for a complete Alexa Home Theater.
Smoother 4K streaming
in any home
Our first-ever streaming stick with Wi-Fi 6E support for ultra-smooth 4K streaming—even in homes with multiple devices connected to the internet. To use Wi-Fi 6E, you’ll need a compatible router like eero Pro 6E. Fire TV Stick 4K Max works with earlier wifi routers, too.
Wi-Fi 6E support
Improves upon the connectivity of Wi-Fi 6 for smoother streaming across multiple devices in your household.
Faster speeds
6 GHz spectrum delivers faster speeds and lower latency for smoother streaming and super-responsive gaming.
Tri-band
Supports 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and the new 6 GHz band making it easier to access and enjoy 4K content.
Fire TV Ambient Experience
Stunning artwork
Choose from over 2,000 works of fine art, or use AI Art [Public Preview] to design your own masterpiece. You can ask Alexa to generate an original image, then decide on a unique painting style. You’re only limited by your imagination.
Helpful widgets
Stay informed with customizable Alexa widgets like Calendar, To-Do's, Weather, and many more.
Instant ambiance
Turn your TV into a display for beautiful art by tapping the Alexa button on your remote and selecting Ambient Experience from the Shortcuts Panel. Or, just press and ask Alexa to ‘Launch Ambient Experience’.
From smart home control
to smart living
Control compatible smart home devices right from your TV. You can press and ask Alexa to do things like show Live View Picture-in-Picture camera feeds without interrupting your show, check the weather, order a pizza, and stream music. And Fire TV is always getting smarter with new Alexa Skills and voice functionality. Learn more about compatible smart home devices.
“Alexa, show my front door camera.”
Light
Lock
Smart Camera
Sound Bar
Smart Plug
Thermostat
The most storage
in a Fire TV Stick
Fire TV Stick 4K Max has 16GB of storage—
double the 8GB of storage in Fire TV Stick 4K,
and our other streaming sticks. That means you can
download more streaming apps, more games, and
more content.
Over 1.5 million movies
and TV episodes
Enjoy favorites from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Apple TV+, Peacock, STARZ, Paramount+, and others. Stream live TV, news, and sports, and even watch for free with Pluto TV, Amazon Freevee, YouTube, and more. Plus, play millions of songs through services like Amazon Music and Spotify.
Subscription fees may apply.
Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced
Control your compatible TV, soundbar, and receiver with dedicated power, volume, and mute buttons. You can also surf live TV with dedicated channel buttons and get to your favorite shows and movies faster with preset app shortcuts (app buttons may vary). It’s expansive control and easy navigation without juggling multiple remotes.
Next level gaming.
No console required.
No matter what kind of gaming you’re into, Games on Fire TV has you covered. Play games like you stream movies with Amazon Luna or download games from the Appstore. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can play a rotating selection of games free on Luna.
Get smooth, fluid gameplay and fast-rendering graphics with a 850MHz GPU. Switch to low-lag cloud gaming with Auto Low Latency Mode support. Play your favorite games on Luna, Amazon’s cloud gaming service, with a subscription and Luna Controller (sold separately).
Simple to set up and use
Step 1
Plug Fire TV Stick 4K Max directly into your HDMI input.
Step 2
Attach power cable, and plug into
wall outlet.
Step 3
Pair remote with TV, connect to
internet, and enjoy.
Designed for Sustainability
We make our devices more sustainable—from how we build them to how customers use and retire them. Figures are for FTV Stick 4 K Max 2nd gen, not including any other versions or any bundled accessories or devices. We update the carbon footprint when we discover new information that changes the estimated carbon footprint of a device by more than 5% .
Carbon Footprint
Materials
Fire TV Stick and remote made from 22% recycled materials. 100% recyclable packaging (shipping packaging not included).
Energy
Low Power Mode reduces energy consumption when idle, except in certain situations. We also invest in renewable energy equivalent to this device's electricity usage.
Trade-in and Recycle
Built to last. But when you're ready, you can trade-in or recycle your devices. Explore Amazon Second Chance.
Compare Fire TV Streaming Devices
Price | From: $29.99 | From: $39.99 | From: $49.99 | From: $59.99 | From: $139.99 |
Ratings | 4.6 out of 5 stars (62,810) | 4.7 out of 5 stars (467,665) | 4.7 out of 5 stars (26,426) | 4.6 out of 5 stars (19,770) | 4.4 out of 5 stars (10,137) |
Best for | Essential HD streaming | HD streaming with convenient device controls | Cinematic 4K streaming | Powerful 4K streaming | The ultimate hands-free 4K streaming experience |
Supported picture quality | 1080p Full HD (High Definition) | 1080p Full HD (High Definition) | 4K Ultra HD | 4K Ultra HD | 4K Ultra HD |
Supported video | HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG | HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG | Dolby Vision, plus HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG | Dolby Vision, plus HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG | Dolby Vision, plus HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG |
Supported audio | Dolby encoded audio | Dolby Atmos audio | Dolby Atmos audio | Dolby Atmos audio | Dolby Atmos audio |
Included remote | Alexa Voice Remote Lite | Alexa Voice Remote | Alexa Voice Remote | Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced | Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced |
Storage | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB | 16GB | 16GB |
Memory | 1GB | 1GB | 2GB | 2GB | 2GB |
Wifi support & connectivity | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6E + Ethernet port |
Live View Picture-in-Picture | |||||
Fire TV Ambient Experience | |||||
Hands-free with Alexa | |||||
Connect & control your devices (cable box, game console, webcam, etc) | |||||
Release year | 2021 | 2021 | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 |
Technical details
Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen)
Size |
99 mm x 30 mm x 14 mm (only housing)
|
Weight |
43.5 g |
Processor |
Quad-core 2.0GHz |
GPU |
850MHz |
Storage |
16GB |
Wifi |
Wi-Fi 6E tri-band: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz) |
Bluetooth |
Bluetooth 5.2 + BLE |
Voice Support |
Yes, with the Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced (included) or free Fire TV app (available for download on Fire OS, Android, and iOS) |
IR device control with included Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced |
The included Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced can control Fire TV Stick 4K Max and certain functions (such as power and volume) on a wide range of compatible IR-enabled devices, including TVs, soundbars and A/V receivers. Note: Certain functions may not be available on some IR-enabled devices. |
Cloud Storage |
Free cloud storage for digital content purchased from Amazon |
Ports |
HDMI 2.1 output with ARC input support, micro USB |
Audio Support |
Dolby Atmos, 7.1 surround sound, 2-channel stereo, and HDMI audio pass through up to 5.1. |
4K Support |
To watch movies and TV shows in 4K Ultra HD, you need a compatible Ultra HD TV. All services may not be available in 4K/HDR. Certain services are subject to change at any time, may not be available in all areas, or in 4K/HDR, and may require separate subscriptions. Learn more about services. |
Content formats supported |
Video: Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG, H.265, H.264, VP9, AV1; Audio: xHE-AAC, AAC-LC, AAC+, eAAC+, AAC-ELD, MP3, AMR-NB, FLAC, PCM/WAV, Vorbis, Dolby AC3, eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus), Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC), Dolby AC4, Dolby MAT, Dolby TrueHD pass-through, MPEG-H pass-through, DTS passthrough, DTS-HD passthrough (basic profile); Photo: JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP |
Output resolution supported |
2160p, 1080p and 720p up to 60 fps |
System requirements |
High-definition television with available high-speed HDMI input, high-speed internet connection via wifi. Wi-Fi 6E router needed for Wi-Fi 6E support. Auto-Low Latency Mode is included in the HDMI 2.1 standard. |
TV compatibility |
TV must support minimum HDCP requirements for protected content playback. Compatible with 1) 4K UHD TVs with HDMI capable of 2160p at 24/25/30/50/60 Hz and HDCP 2.2 or 2) high-definition TVs with HDMI capable of 1080p or 720p at 50/60 Hz. Learn more about high-definition. |
Warranty and service |
1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year extended warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Fire TV is subject to the terms found here. |
Content availability |
Certain apps and services are subject to change or withdrawal at any time, may not be available in all areas and languages, and may require separate subscriptions. |
Accessibility features |
VoiceView screen reader enables access to the vast majority of Fire TV features for users who are blind or visually impaired. Watch videos and TV shows with closed captioning displayed. Captions are not available for all content. You can also listen to Fire TV with compatible Bluetooth headphones. Learn more about compatibility. |
Included in the box |
Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced, power cable and power adapter, HDMI extender cable for Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), 2 AAA batteries, Quick Start Guide |
Software Security Updates |
This device receives guaranteed software security updates until at least four years after the device is last available for purchase as a new unit on our websites. Learn more about these software security updates. If you already own a Fire TV, visit Manage Your Content and Devices for information specific to your device. |
Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced
Size |
38 mm x 157 mm x 17 mm |
Weight |
51 g (without batteries) |
Batteries |
2 AAA (included) |
Technology |
Bluetooth and infrared |
Compatibility |
Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), Fire TV 2-Series, Fire TV 4-Series, Fire TV Omni Series, Fire TV Omni QLED Series, Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) |
Sustainability features
This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.
Carbon emissions from the lifecycle of this product were reduced compared to similar products or previous models.
The Reducing CO2 label applies to products certified by the Carbon Trust, that are lowering their carbon emissions year after year for the full lifecycle of the product. The Carbon Trust was formed in 2001 and introduced the world’s first carbon label in 2007. It produces its certifications to global leading and independently verified standards. The Carbon Trust has a mission to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low carbon economy.
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Amazon FireTV Stick 4K Max - Watch Before You Buy
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the picture quality, speed, and ease of use of the digital device. For example, they mention it's a maestro of crystal-clear, high-definition content, and easy to set up and operate. They appreciate the storage, saying it has more memory and space for programs. Opinions are mixed on quality, performance, and remote quality.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the speed of the digital device. They mention that it has a fast performance that makes navigating through menus easy. They also say that it's responsive with loading an application and that there are no skips and delays when streaming 4K content.
"...seem to be a little bit quicker in response but otherwise performance is comparable between the two models...." Read more
"...While watching 4K streaming - there were no skips and delays...." Read more
"...The hardware is the best I've used in a streaming stick or dongle. Snappy and responsive overall, great wifi, plenty of storage...." Read more
"...The inclusion of **Wi-Fi 6E** support is a game-changer, offering fast performance and reliable connectivity even on crowded networks²...." Read more
Customers find the digital device easy to use. They mention it's simple, straightforward, and easy to setup. They appreciate the search feature, which makes finding exactly what they're looking for incredibly convenient. They also appreciate the fast performance, which make navigating through menus and apps a breeze. Overall, customers say the device ensures a smooth journey through their favorite shows and movies.
"...this remote control is very simple, the keys feel comfortable and easy to use, the size is just right, and it is very comfortable to grip; The..." Read more
"...The setup was a breeze, and within minutes, I was navigating through a user-friendly interface...." Read more
"...is like a tech sorcerer, banishing the buffering demons and ensuring a smooth journey through your favorite shows and movies...." Read more
"...I love that the FireStick is easy to use and install...." Read more
Customers like the picture quality of the digital device. They mention that it has great picture quality, and the video is crisp. Some say that the stick is a maestro of crystal-clear, high-definition content.
"...It's not just a streaming device; it's a maestro of crystal-clear, high-definition content.**..." Read more
"...occasional need to restart it due to slowdowns, but for its stellar picture quality, robust feature set, and ease of use, it might just as well..." Read more
"...It also seems to have slightly better picture quality. So overall I feel like it was worth the money...." Read more
"...And the video quality is superlative. First time I've been able to watch YouTube at anything over 320p. Now, 1080 minimum." Read more
Customers like the value of the digital device. They say it's worth the purchase, an investment for any home theater enthusiast, and an inexpensive way to stream TV and movies from apps. Some mention that the price was most definitely worth it.
"This remote control works very well and is worth every penny...." Read more
"...the hassle of cables or satellite, this device is certainly worth considering." Read more
"...So overall I feel like it was worth the money.That said I am not a fan of the new "convenience" buttons they added to the remote...." Read more
"...the end of the world or going to cause any issues other than feeling horribly cheap and goofy...." Read more
Customers like the storage of the digital device. They say it has more space, a faster processor, and more memory. Some customers also say that the device immediately detected the external storage and allowed them to quickly format and allocate apps.
"...The new device has a faster CPU and double the storage capacity so you can load more apps, but also I fel it come switch more stuff pre-loaded that..." Read more
"...and gave up. This new one has a faster processor and more RAM. The menu navigates super fast and the streaming is in sync...." Read more
"...This new gen is much better than the previous, storage is better, WiFi capabilities and overall processing speeds greatly improved and the all new..." Read more
"...I will say the space upgrade is nice, but I honestly prefer the previous version...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the digital device. Some mention that it works really well, does everything they would expect it to, and provides good quality and an interface. However, others say that they have been getting some very off-beat results for their searches, there are some glitches, and that it stopped working.
"This remote control works very well and is worth every penny...." Read more
"...Well, I must say, the results were very positive!..." Read more
"...set to adaptive mode causing it to not output an HDR stream and sometimes to crash when switching to and from HDR content...." Read more
"...with Fire OS 8, but it's much more stable already, and working well for its primary purpose - streaming...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the quality of the digital device. Some mention that the quality has improved, it's not built cheap, and has a robust feature set. However, others say that their TV was super slow and always crashing.
"...There was also a nice Audio/Video SYNC tool available to ensure my streaming apps were in sync between the audio and video streams...." Read more
"...like VLC - apps that are in the Amazon Appstore - are just completely broken, because there's no way in the UI to grant the new storage permissions...." Read more
"...6E support, this streaming stick is like a tech sorcerer, banishing the buffering demons and ensuring a smooth journey through your favorite shows..." Read more
"...Streamed shows or movies took forever to load, they would buffer, stop and start, or they just wouldn't start at all...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the remote quality. Some mention that the Genie has a more TV friendly remote, it's easy to navigate, and has'remote finder'. However, others say that the remote sucks, has issues with HDR content, and isn't fully functional. Some customers also say that it'll falls short in three places, first being backlit and cheap feeling.
"...The Cube remote feels really cheaply built and is creaky and slippery; the Max remote feels like good quality and doesn't creak...." Read more
"...I love that the FireStick is easy to use and install. The remote is good quality because we’ve dropped it plenty of times and it still functions..." Read more
"...The remote has a slick user experience where the Roku is a little more clunky. In fact it wasn’t working right at first until I restarted it...." Read more
"...I must state that its interface is user-friendly, and all the apps I frequently use, such as Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime, Max, and Peacock,..." Read more
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I have an early model of the fire stick on a TV in my bedroom. This model does seem to be a little bit quicker in response but otherwise performance is comparable between the two models. I do wish they would keep things like the volume controll buttons in the same place on the remotes when the come out with different models.
The only thing the Roku device offered that I wish were available on my fire sticks is positioning the volume buttons on the side of the remote. Side mounted buttons make it much easier to find the right button in the dark.
I also like the fact that I was able to install VLC media player on my fire sticks. You cant do that on my Roku device.
The first unit that was sent to me had a problem. I got great tech support help promptly and they shipped me a new unit right after I ran some tests they requested.
Comments: The design of this remote control is very simple, the keys feel comfortable and easy to use, the size is just right, and it is very comfortable to grip; The intelligent function and adjustment function are very good and very convenient. This remote control can be compatible with different brands of equipment, including TVS, speakers, DVD machines, etc., in different occasions to use very convenient, very suitable for family use
Therefore, knowing I was using a new Denon AV Receiver with an available 4K/8K HDMI AUX2 input available, I purchased this 4K stick to test without disrupting my current AV setup. Well, I must say, the results were very positive!
Received the item, and plugged the stick into my AV Receiver's available AUX2 port (not into my TV) and began the setup. After configuring and setting up my apps (Vudu, Netflix, MAX, etc) as almost every app is available for the stick to use!), I began testing. First, I tested the internet speed - and found the stick was using more than 10 times the internet speed the devices and apps were using on the older devices....
Also, the stick streamed ATMOS audio and 4K video to my 4K TV also connected to my AV Receiver. While watching 4K streaming - there were no skips and delays. There was also a nice Audio/Video SYNC tool available to ensure my streaming apps were in sync between the audio and video streams. Some of my apps on the older devices had issues with audio not syned with the video...(Hulu, etc), and this problem was also resolved!
Once I was happy - I went further and wanted to see if I could program my universal Logitech Harmony remote to work with this addition to my AV setup! AND IT DID!!!!
I highly recommend this device to provide more independence with streaming and apps so you can use your hardware to just provide it's main functions....
I hope this info helps anyone out - enjoy!
Amazon has made some noteworthy improvements with subsequent software updates.
Ambient Experience: It's still a bit laggy - Amazon has more optimizing work to be done here. But it's not nearly as bad. Also, originally the Ambient Experience always shut off after only 14 minutes and there was no option to change that; but Amazon has added options to set a longer timeout, including up to several hours or "never." The AE isn't perfect, but it's much better now.
Permissions: Amazon added in the Manage All Files permission with the 8.1.0.1 firmware update, and it works correctly. They could do a better job at documenting this - you have to know to go into settings and manually grant the permission, you can't do this in a pop-up permission request - but it does work, so that's an important fix. The other permission differences (like Nearby Devices) are, in fairness, only really for use with sideloaded apps for power users, so it's no surprise that Amazon hasn't added those into the interface.
Some users had experienced that problem that sideloaded apps showed blank icons, but Amazon fixed that very quickly.
There are still other minor glitches with Fire OS 8, but it's much more stable already, and working well for its primary purpose - streaming. I think the Max is shaping up to be a reasonable and much cheaper alternative to the Fire TV Cube now for those who don't need the hands-free voice and HDMI input. The Max is also much faster and with double the storage compared to the sluggish Chromecast with Google TV.
A note on the remote control: unfortunately, after a few days the solid-feeling remote control loosened up. The upside is that the battery cover comes off more easily now. But the bad part is that the remote is now *very* creaky and feels so loose it's almost like it could come apart in your hand with ordinary usage. It doesn't, but it sure feels cheap.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
For context, I've been using the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen as my primary streaming device for several months, after trying a number of Android TV devices and having problems with all of them. I got the new Fire Stick Max 2nd Gen to try out Fire OS 8 and the Ambient Experience.
It turns out that Fire OS 8 and the Ambient Experience are the problem here.
The hardware is the best I've used in a streaming stick or dongle. Snappy and responsive overall, great wifi, plenty of storage. In fact, in browsing the UI and launching apps, the Max is not far behind the Cube, and wifi is every bit as good.
But the Ambient Experience is a problem. It's a good idea, it looks nice, and it has lots of options. But those options are rather confusing. More importantly, the AE is disastrously laggy. When customizing, it'll lag long enough you'd think it didn't register a button press at all. When launching the AE, the screen goes completely blank for several seconds as if the TV was shut off, before very slowly loading the image and widgets. It needs a ton of optimizing before it's any good.
And Fire OS 8 based on Android 11 is a problem here too. What's the same from Fire TV 7/Android 9 still works just fine, but some of what's changed is broken.
Most notably, Android 10 and 11 introduced lots of permissions changes that required apps to be modified and users to adjust their settings. And Amazon seems to have totally missed out on that for Fire OS 8. The most obvious is storage permissions: in Fire OS 8, file managers and other apps that access storage like VLC - apps that are in the Amazon Appstore - are just completely broken, because there's no way in the UI to grant the new storage permissions. (Storage permission is listed in settings, but it doesn't work.) These changes were announced more than 4 years ago and were very widely discussed and reported on throughout the Android world, so there's no excuse for Amazon not to have addressed that in preparing Fire OS 8. (The permission can be granted at the command line using adb, but that is cumbersome and should not be needed just to let a file manager manage files.) There are other permissions issues, too, but storage is the glaring serious problem.
Quick note on the remote: although it's the same buttons, size, and shape as the remote with the Cube, the build quality is quite different. The Cube remote feels really cheaply built and is creaky and slippery; the Max remote feels like good quality and doesn't creak. On the other hand, it's really difficult to open the battery cover on the Max remote.
Amazon has done a good job with the hardware on the Max 2nd Gen. But they have a lot of work to do to optimize and fix bugs in Fire OS 8 and the Ambient Experience.