Don't be fooled by Amazon's naming scheme

The Fire TV Stick Lite is better than the regular one

Amazon offers two models of its popular Fire TV Stick: the regular one with Alexa Voice Remote (3rd Gen) and the Lite one with Alexa Voice Remote Lite (2022 Edition). Both devices let you stream your favorite shows and movies in full HD resolution, with support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital Plus audio formats. They also have the same storage capacity, CPU speed, and connectivity options. However, there is one key difference that might surprise you: the GPU.

Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (3rd Gen):

• Resolutions: 1920 x 1080p at 60 fps
• Dolby/DTS Support: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
• Storage Capacity: 8 GB
• CPU: Quad-Core, Up to 1.7 GHz
• GPU: PowerVR GE8300
• Average Price: $50 USD

Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite Streaming Media Player (2022 Edition):

• Resolutions: 1920 x 1080p at 60 fps
• Dolby/DTS Support: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
• Storage Capacity: 8 GB
• CPU: Quad-Core, Up to 1.7 GHz
• GPU: PowerVR GE9215
• Average Price: $40 USD

The regular Fire TV Stick has a PowerVR GE8300 GPU, while the Lite one has a PowerVR GE9215 GPU. According to the benchmarks12, the GE9215 is a newer and more powerful GPU than the GE8300, despite having the same number of execution units and core speed. The GE9215 belongs to the Series9XE family of GPUs, which are designed for high-performance and low-power consumption. The GE8300, on the other hand, belongs to the Series8XE family, which are more suitable for entry-level devices.

This means that the Lite Fire TV Stick can handle more demanding graphics tasks, such as gaming, video editing, or VR applications, than the regular one. It also means that the Lite Fire TV Stick is more future-proof, as it can support newer graphics APIs, such as Vulkan 1.1, while the regular one is limited to Vulkan 1.0. The Lite Fire TV Stick also has a newer Android version (10 vs 9) and a lower price ($40 vs $50).

So, if you are looking for a Fire TV Stick, don’t be fooled by Amazon’s naming scheme. The Lite one is actually better than the regular one in terms of GPU performance, and it costs less. The only reason to choose the regular one is if you prefer the slightly different design of the remote control, which has a few more buttons and a LED indicator. Otherwise, the Lite one is the clear winner.