Amazon has launched its own console

The largest American retailer has introduced a home TV set-top box. 

Already at the beginning of the year, it was clear that the moment was near when we would see the competition for “couch users” simultaneously between Apple, Google, Valve, Sony and Microsoft. Yesterday it turned out that another serious player joined the race. 

The largest American online retailer and part-time developer of the most popular Android tablet in the United States, Amazon, has released its own set—top box for a TV — Fire TV.

The news could hardly be called loud (you can stream videos using Chromecast and using the basic functionality of a Smart TV), if not for one “but”. The Amazon device is a full—fledged game console that allows you to download games from the Amazon Appstore. However, so far the library of projects supporting the novelty is limited to only 100 games. 

A comparative table of consoles from different manufacturers

The cost of Fire TV in the USA is $99. For those who want to play on the console without resorting to perversions, such as using a console remote or a smartphone touchscreen, they will have to pay another $39.99 for a gamepad resembling a similar one from Xbox One. 

By the way, Asphalt 8, Minecraft: Pocket Edition, Sonic The Hedgehog, Dead Trigger 2, Modern Combat 4, Deus Ex: The Fall, Anomaly 2 and Rayman Fiesta Run have already appeared on the Amazon Appstore in the Fire TV version. In other words, there is already something to play on the console.

Plus, Amazon has been working on games for the console in the "home" studio for a long time. One of the projects, Sev Zero, somewhat resembling a mix of Gear of War or Halo, has already been released.