Amazon has quietly unveiled its next-generation operating system, Vega OS (also known internally as Kepler) with the launch of the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select. This marks a significant step in Amazon’s connected-TV strategy and the start of a new wave of developer-friendly CTV platforms.
For the past year, eCreation has been working with Amazon and UKTV as part of the Vega Partner Program, helping to refine both Vega OS and the Vega Developer Tools. This collaboration ensured that UKTV’s U app (formerly UKTV Play) was ready and available on Vega OS from day one of the platform’s launch.
Vega OS is Amazon’s new Linux-based operating system for smart TVs and streaming devices. While Amazon’s existing Fire OS remains the backbone of current Fire TV products, Vega OS has been engineered from the ground up for flexibility, performance, and modern app development.
Unlike Fire OS, which is built on Android, Vega OS is completely independent of the Android stack. It’s a lightweight Linux distribution with React Native integrated at the system level, enabling developers to build high-performance TV apps using web-standard technologies such as JavaScript and React.
This architectural shift gives Amazon and its partners greater control over updates and system performance while simplifying the development process. For developers, Vega OS offers faster iteration, and a familiar toolchain. For manufacturers and operators, it provides a platform that can be deployed more easily across a range of devices.
The connected-TV market has grown rapidly but has also become increasingly fragmented. Today’s smart-TV landscape includes Tizen, webOS, Roku OS, Fire OS, Google TV, Vidaa, Titan OS, and others — each with its own development kit, certification process, and quirks.
Amazon’s Fire OS gave the company a powerful entry point, but its reliance on Android limited Amazon’s control over long-term updates and developer experience. Vega OS changes that equation. It lets Amazon evolve the platform independently, accelerate innovation, and extend its reach through licensing agreements with third-party manufacturers.
At the same time, the integration of React Native directly into the system responds to a major industry trend — the convergence of web and native TV-app development. By embracing this approach, Amazon is empowering developers to reuse skills and codebases across multiple devices, lowering the cost of supporting new platforms.
The first product to run Vega OS is the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, part of Amazon’s 2025 Fire TV lineup.
Externally, it looks much like the familiar Fire TV Stick 4K, but under the hood it features a new Linux kernel, streamlined architecture, and improved system performance. Users benefit from faster boot times, smoother navigation, and a responsive interface, while still enjoying all the features expected from Fire TV — Alexa voice control, access to the Fire TV Appstore, and seamless integration with Amazon Prime Video and other streaming services.
From a consumer point of view, it’s the same trusted Fire TV experience. For developers, it’s the start of something entirely new.
As a Vega Partner Program member, eCreation’s engineering team worked closely with Amazon and UKTV to test, debug, and optimise Vega OS during its pre-launch phase.
Our collaboration focused on ensuring that UKTV’s on-demand streaming service, the U app (formerly UKTV Play), was fully compatible with the new operating system. The app, already popular on Fire TV devices, was adapted for Vega OS to take advantage of its React Native-based runtime and new developer tooling.
eCreation’s role extended beyond app migration. We contributed to fine-tuning platform behaviours and developer tools, providing feedback that helped shape the pre-release SDKs and build environments. By launch day, the U app was live on Vega OS, demonstrating the close technical partnership between UKTV, Amazon, and eCreation.
This project underscores eCreation’s deep expertise in connected-TV application development and system integration. From broadcaster services to smart-TV platforms, eCreation helps media brands navigate a complex ecosystem, delivering consistent, performant user experiences across every screen.
Vega OS could signal a major evolution in the CTV landscape. With its React Native foundation, Amazon may attract a growing number of device manufacturers looking for a modern, efficient alternative to Android-based solutions.
However, the industry reality remains: each new platform increases fragmentation. For developers and content providers, it means yet another environment to support, test, and certify.
As our engineers put it:
“Watch out for Vega OS — this might be something big! Or… yet another CTV platform to support, making the ecosystem even more fragmented and challenging.”
Either way, eCreation’s proactive involvement ensures our customers are prepared. Whether Vega OS becomes a new standard or another branch of the connected-TV family tree, we’re already helping partners deploy, optimise, and succeed on the platform from day zero.
About eCreation
eCreation is a digital-media technology company specialising in media-supply-chain, CTV, and developer-platform innovation. We work with broadcasters, platform owners, and service providers to design, build, and scale the next generation of connected-TV experiences.
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