Affiliate Disclosure
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read our ethics policy.

Amazon announces $39 Fire TV Stick to compete with Google Chromecast

Online retail behemoth Amazon on Monday unveiled the Fire TV Stick, a dongle variant of its Fire TV set-top box that eschews the separate hardware in favor of an all-in-one form factor that plugs into and is powered by a television's HDMI port.

The $39 Fire TV Stick adds access to all of the same content as its larger sibling. That includes Amazon's Prime Instant Video service, alongside Amazon Music and popular content providers like Netflix and Spotify.

Buyers will also be able to play a selection of popular games, an option that was brought to the Fire TV earlier this year. It is unclear whether the Fire TV's dedicated gamepad will be compatible with the more diminutive streamer, though it appears unlikely.

A secondary remote that adds voice search capability is available as well; the bundled remote control does not include a microphone.

Amazon is positioning the Fire TV Stick as a direct competitor to Google's Chromecast. The retailer touts the Fire TV Stick as having "4x the storage and 2x the memory of Chromecast," with a dual-core processor and 1 gigabyte of built-in memory.

Amazon's Fire TV Stick is available now for pre-order through Amazon's website. Amazon Prime members will receive a $20 discount for the next 48 hours, cutting the device's cost to just $19.