Amazon Video can now stream 4K content on Xbox One S

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
last updated

Between Netflix, Vudu, and Hulu, there's already quite a bit of 4K content available to check out on your Xbox One S. But now, you can add the Amazon Video Xbox app to that list, as it just officially added (opens in new tab) the ability to stream Amazon originals and more in 4K UHD.

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The Grand Tour, Bosch, Man in the High Castle, and other Amazon Original shows should be available to check out in 4K now, along with any other 4K releases available across the Amazon Video catalog. And although the announcement doesn't specify, that presumably means HDR is available as well.

It's worth noting that, though this is the official launch of 4K content for Amazon Video, it was briefly available with an app update that slipped through the cracks in December. In other words, it's likely that some people have already been able to stream 4K content through the app, but this marks the full, wide rollout.

In any case, you can get started streaming 4K Amazon content now by grabbing the latest update to the app on your Xbox One S now.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

44 Comments
  • Meanwile Apple TV doen't have Amazon Video. And as we know, if a platform does not have a specific app then it is an indication that it is a complete failure.
  • Go ahead and get yourself in trouble talking smack about anything Apple, I'll be the first to say I warned you when their legions comes after you.
  • Nobody enjoys being the target of the Apple horde than I do. So let the come at me.
  • You go, boyyy...
  • Now they just need to release Amazon Music for UWP and we will be set.
  • That's actually coming next month most likely. It's been rumored for the last couple of weeks. The Apple TV is ok. It's basically like FIRE TV, where no competing apps are allowed, hence no VUDU or FANDANGONOW on either of those. 
  • Fandango Now??? Who the hell uses Fandango Now? Seriously. Why would anyone trust such a site or service to be alive and usable in the near future when behemoths like Apple, Google, Vudu, and Amazon are around?
  • I've used it for rentals (compliments of T-Mobile). Same experience as vudu.
  • They have  ultraviolet so it doesn't matter if they tank. You'd still be able to watch those movies on VUDU. 
  • Jared Newman says that an Apple TV app for Amazon video will be announced in a couple of weeks. http://www.techhive.com/article/3196412/streaming-media/amazon-prime-vid...
  • Does the amazon video app update fix the fact that every time I closed the app it would log me out? So annoying...
  • Amazon's Windows support is terrible.  It's amazing they release even this.  Would love for it to come to the PC too, but think SnapChat will first.
  • That was a beautifully contructed below the belt and hit 2 with one shot.
  • I wonder if this will allow you to rent content on the app, which it didn't support. Music next.
  • Does it finally stop globally enabling HDR on app launch though? Amazon and Netflix both do it and its so annoying, I have to disable HDR on my TV if I want to watch either at present.
  • Just curious, how come? I just recently got my first TV with HDR in it, and I have minimal issues with Netflix (I honestly think it's a network issue) but I just wanna rule things out lol.
  • Hi Axmantim, I find that both Netflix and Amazon Video force HDR on app start, resulting in a very washed out image for non HDR content (in my case, others have reported differently but the same cause). Sadly my broadband is too slow to have tried an actual HDR stream via either of those services. Games and UHD are stunning however ☺️.
    The app update hadn't come down last night so will check again shortly. Cheers, Alex
  • Thanks for the reply. I will look out for those possible issues. Right now my issues seem to be either network or OS related. Wi-Fi sucks in my house, so I gotta get my lazy butt in gear and hard wire my tv full time. Right now unplugging the Ethernet from the Xbox and connecting it to the tv seems to fix everything.
  • Hard reset the console. Fix
  • Will this be coming to Windows Mobile 10?
  • If it's uwp and if Wm supports 4k or hdr maybe....but even the 600nits OLED in the 950xl would need Dolby software to enable hdr and it looks like the g6 would get that before anyone.
  • Of course amazon would have to care about Wm first....
  • FINALLY I would be able to watch the grand tour in HDR
  • Hahah the grand tour is awesome
  • It's about time!
  • Great!
  • I see we're talking here about the service for the tiny number of core amazon video countries (US/UK/Germany/Austria), not the international service with its depressingly meager device support. Looks like it's going to be a long time before it's worth paying for primevideo.com
  • I just watched an episode of The Grand Tour using the Amazon video app on my XBox One S and my 4K TV reported that the video was at a resolution of 3840×2160, i.e. 4K/Ultra HD.  My XBox tells me that the Amazon app was last updated on 18/May.  As I'm in the southern hemisphere, I signed up to Amazon's video service through www.primevideo.com. Sure, the catalog is meagre, but at least you get all the Amazon originals and the service is quite cheap.  Seems to work fine for me!
  • These are the supported devices and Xbox is not listed. Are you pretending to be in another region? https://www.primevideo.com/help/ref=dv_web_help_nd_nd?_encoding=UTF8&nod...  
  • It would seem that for some bizzare reason Amazon has geo-locked the Amazon Video app for XBox in the Windows Store even though they now ostensibly sell their video service around the world.  I had to switch the region of my XBox to USA then the Amazon Video app showed up in the Store on a search of "Amazon" and installed just fine.  Switched the XBox's region back to the region I'm actually in and it still works, signed in to my primevideo.com account, and updates with no issues that I can see. So, to answer you question, I only had to pretend to be in another region just to find the app in the Store and install it.  Once installed, the XBox can be switched back to its regular region without affecting the app.
  • Hmmm... It would seem that XBox is sending out a nominal 4K signal regardless of the quality of the source material.  Just watched an HD program from Netflix on XBox and the TV still said the signal it was getting was at 3840×2160.  I guess that Amazon update has yet to roll out.  I noticed, though, that some titles are listed in the Amazon app has being available in 4K, yet other titles that are supposed to be available in 4K aren't identified as such.  Weird...
  • And although the announcement doesn't specify, that presumably means HDR is available as well. That's a poor assumption to make as HDR and 4K support are usually independent (technically HDR is supported on the original PS4 but since no-one offers HDR enabled 1080p content and Netflix see HDR & 4K as a combined product it's a useless addition for now). I've seen plenty of TVs that support 4K but do not support HDR - it's more than likely that this update simply adds 4K support only. You'd also think that if HDR was supported, Microsoft would have mentioned this in the press release, it's far too big a deal not to have mentioned it unless there's a good reason to (i.e. no support).
  • And although the announcement doesn't specify, that presumably means HDR is available as well. That's a poor assumption to make as HDR and 4K support are usually independent (technically HDR is supported on the original PS4 but since no-one offers HDR enabled 1080p content and Netflix see HDR & 4K as a combined product it's a useless addition for now). I've seen plenty of TVs that support 4K but do not support HDR - it's more than likely that this update simply adds 4K support only. You'd also think that if HDR was supported, Microsoft would have mentioned this in the press release, it's far too big a deal not to have mentioned it unless there's a good reason to (i.e. no support).
  • That's right. Amazon has had HDR on Xbox One S for at least the last 6 months. I use it weekly.
  • Wow i didn't know Amazon 0 had an Xbox app too... So they have N Xbox app but not on windows 10 pc/laptop... Strange
  • Xbox is the absolute king of Media under a TV. At least here in the UK not even Sky and Virgin boxes compete. There's over 200 apps.
  • That is true world wide. Now if there was only a streaming stick.
  • Re: aka TheRealBatman,
    May I ask, why do you need a streaming stick too?
    Best Wishes
  • For desktop, I believe, the assumption is that you will be using a browser. I'm not sure if Amazon has the same requirement, but for doing 4K through Netflix on a PC it needs a 7th Gen Intel CPU due to DRM on that chip. Haven't found if the new Ryzen chips have the required DRM or not.
  • Google also had mentioned YouTube red on xbox in their i/o right?
  • Apple TV. Lol. No one in their right mind would use that over an Xbox One S. Especially when you can get a Xbox One S for only £100 more and get so much better content and much higher resolutions.
  • Dear God...IT LOOKS AMAZING.
  • No Amazon Prime video app for my ps4 in India.
  • Just wanted to chime in that hdr works on vizio p series on the latest beta firmware on Amazon prime. Also ultraflix 4k works as well u can find ultraflix in the store.