Google TV Streamer vs Amazon Fire TV Cube (2022): Premium hardware for Netflix and beyond

• 

  
  Google TV Streamer
  

  Best for everyone

  The Google TV Streamer delivers fast internet performance, impeccable picture and sound quality, and up to 32GB of storage for all your apps and downloaded content. It’s also $40 cheaper than the Fire TV Cube and is even compatible with Matter and Thread networking gear!

  Pros

  • Cheaper option
  • Gigabit Ethernet performance
  • Matter and Thread support

  Cons

  • No USB-A or HDMI input
  • Uses a three-year-old processor
  • No hands-free voice controls

• 

  Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen)
  

  Better for Alexa users

  A few years old now, the Amazon Fire TV Cube (2022) pulls double duty as a streaming device and Alexa-powered smart speaker. It also has Wi-Fi 6E support and comes with an HDMI 2.1 input, allowing for AV switching directly through the Cube.

  Pros

  • Has a newer octa-core processor
  • Doubles as a smart speaker
  • Has an HDMI 2.1 input

  Cons

  • Delivers slower Ethernet performance
  • Only 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage
  • More expensive

Streaming devices are available in just about every shape and size. Some models cost as little as $20, while the more top-shelf gadgets can run you $200 or more. It’s also not uncommon to see companies like Google and Amazon leading the charge on modern streaming tech. As a matter of fact, two of the best streamers you can buy in 2024 are the all-new Google TV Streamer and the Amazon Fire TV Cube (2022).

Both of these plug-and-play peripherals are simple to operate and are packed with features, apps, games, and plenty of other streaming must-haves. But which of the two should you be spending your money on? We put the Google TV Streamer and Fire TV Cube side-by-side to help you decide.

Price, availability, and specs

Google costs less upfront

While the Google TV Streamer is still brand-new to digital and brick-and-mortar shelves, it arrived at a lower retail price than the latest version of the Amazon Fire TV Cube (2022), which has been out for well over two years. The Google TV Streamer is $100 and can be purchased through major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store.

The higher-priced Fire TV Cube sells new for $140 but can sometimes be found on sale (we’ve seen it priced as low as $90) or bundled with other items to reduce the device’s overall cost.

• 	Google TV Streamer	Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen)
  Operating System	Android TV OS	Fire OS
  Resolution	4K at 60FPS	4K, 1080p and 720p
  HDR support	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG‬	HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
  Audio codecs	Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos	Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, DTS, DTS-HD
  RAM/storage	4GB/32GB	2GB/ 16GB
  CPU	MediaTek MT8696	Octa-core (4x 2.2GHz, 4x 2.0GHz)
  Ports	USB-C (power/data), HDMI 2.1 (Type A), Ethernet (10/100/1000Mbps‭)	USB Type-A, Ethernet, HDMI 2.1 input, HDMI 2.1 output
  Connectivity	Wi-Fi 5 (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.1, Thread border router	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.0
  Integrations	Matter, Google Home	Alexa
  Downloadable Apps	Google Play Store	Yes
  Remote	Bluetooth, IR, microphone, and the following buttons: D-pad, Select, Home, Back, Volume, Power, YouTube, Netflix, Play/Pause, Assistant, and‬ ‭Customizable‬.	Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced
  Price	$100	$140

Design

Polar opposites in many ways

On the surface, the Google TV Streamer and Amazon Fire TV Cube couldn’t look more different. Ditching the plug-and-play dongles of its bygone Chromecast era, the Google TV Streamer is designed to blend in nicely with modern furniture and home decor. Measuring just over 6 inches wide, all the TV Streamer’s connections are found on the back of the device, including a USB-C power port, Ethernet, an HDMI 2.1 output, and a Find My Remote button.

The included remote isn’t much smaller than the TV Streamer itself. It features navigation buttons, a Google Assistant button, Netflix and YouTube app shortcuts, and even a customizable favorite key (indicated by the star icon). Google doesn’t provide an HDMI cable in the box, but this is the only AV connection you need to wire the device to your TV.

The Google TV Streamer is also available in two colorways: Porcelain and Hazel (only available from the Google Store).

As for the latest Fire TV Cube, Amazon opted for a hard black exterior and two different surface materials: plastic and fabric. Standing 3 inches tall and measuring 3.38 inches from side to side, the newest Fire TV Cube looks (and functions) like an Amazon Echo speaker.

The Fire TV Cube has more ports than the Google TV Streamer, including a dedicated HDMI input for built-in AV switching, an IR extender port, and a USB-A connection that is compatible with certain USB flash drives and external hard drives.

The Fire TV Cube (2022) also comes with the Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced, which looks (and feels) more dated than the fresh-new Google TV Streamer remote control. And like the Google streamer, you’ll need your own HDMI cable for the Fire TV Cube, too.

Software and performance

Fast processors and faster Ethernet

For those unaware, Google TV OS is really just an enhanced version of Android TV, an operating system you’ll still find on devices like the Nvidia Shield TV. While Google TV takes care of menus, navigation, apps, games, and Google Assistant controls for the Google TV Streamer, the device is powered by a MediaTek MT 8699 processor (the same chip used by the 2021 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max), 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage.

The TV Streamer uses Google’s Gemini AI software, too, for recommending movies, shows, and other content. Google claims the TV Streamer is 22% faster than the company’s legacy Chromecast devices, and the Big G’s latest is both Matter and Thread-compatible, too.

Over on Amazon’s side of the playing field, the Fire TV Cube (2022) uses a first-party octa-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. Amazon’s third-gen Cube also features Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.0 support. As for software, Amazon leans on good ole’ Alexa and Fire TV OS to run the show. And thanks to its far-field mic array, the Fire TV Cube (2022) also doubles as a smart speaker!

We mentioned that both streaming devices include an Ethernet port. Hardwiring the Google TV Streamer or Fire TV Cube directly to your router bypasses Wi-Fi completely. However, the former is capable of Gigabit Ethernet speeds (10/100/1000Mbps) versus the 10/100 bandwidth of the Fire TV Cube (2022).

So, while there isn’t much of a difference between the Wi-Fi capabilities of both devices, the Google TV Streamer will deliver faster load times, improved UI navigation and animations, and better picture and sound than the Fire TV Cube when connecting to the internet via Ethernet.

Do keep in mind that both Google TV and Fire TV have their drawbacks. Google’s AI integration doesn’t precisely deliver the most accurate results based on your viewing habits. Our reviewer also thought the UI was a bit too bloated at times. The same can be said for Amazon’s Fire TV OS, though, which has always leaned heavily on recommending (and advertising) Amazon-branded movies and shows.

Video and audio quality

Both devices are best in show

The Google TV Streamer and Amazon Fire TV Cube (2022) deliver up to 4K resolution at 60fps and support three of the top HDR formats: HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision. Both devices support Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital formats, though the Google TV Streamer doesn’t feature any DTS support. Fortunately, the Fire TV Cube supports DTS passthrough.

Here’s the skinny: your streaming device’s overall picture and sound quality will have more to do with your TV and AV cables than whatever bandwidth you’re feeding them, but like all things tech, nothing is ever black or white. Feasibly, you could have very fast internet, but a low-quality TV, which doesn’t bode well for brightness, colors, and contrast. Then again, you could have a poor network signal, but a fantastic TV and HDMI cables.

That being said, you’ll only improve picture and sound quality with more robust Wi-Fi or a hardwired Ethernet connection, and the Google TV Streamer delivers Gigabit Ethernet speeds. So, if you care a lot about getting the sharpest-looking, most artifact-free image possible, the Google TV Streamer is probably your best choice.

Which is right for you?

Our vote goes to Google

When push comes to shove, it’s still tough to pick a winner between these two streaming devices. In several ways, we’d call the Google TV Streamer and Amazon Fire TV Cube (2022) evenly matched. Still, when it comes to the overall package, we’re giving top honors to the Google TV Streamer.

Yes, Google’s latest uses an older chipset than the latest Fire TV Cube, but Gigabit Ethernet throughput is a huge deal. Not to mention the fact that the Google box is $40 less than the third-gen Cube, a device that’s been around for close to three years. Plus, the Google TV Streamer comes with double the RAM and internal storage of the Cube.

This isn’t to say that we would never recommend the Amazon Fire TV Cube (2022), though. In fact, if you’re running an Alexa-powered smart home, the Cube may be a more natural fit into your existing Internet of Things ecosystem.