Notes for using the Fire Stick for streaming and emulation (from a Canadian user). https://bit.ly/2ONhen3
| Product | $ | What it do |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth gamepad | $30-80+ | This is a must for emulation. Xbox One S or 8Bitdo recommended |
| OTG usb cable | $5-9 | This is a must if you want a large library of games. Either a hub version (many usb inputs) or one with at least power and one usb input; The Fire Stick only has 5GB free so this cable will let you to power the Stick and add extra storage with a USB stick. You could even connect a keyboard and mouse. |
| USB memory stick | $10+ | There's only 5GB free on the Firestick so use usb drive for game roms and disk images |
- Settings > Device > Developer Options
- Turn on Apps from Outside Sources
Screen getting cropped (very noticable in Kodi)?
- Fire Stick > Settings > Display and Sound > Display > Calibrate Display
- Also check Fire Stick > Settings Accessibility > Screen Magnification
Get into your settings and turn off anything to do with previewing or personalized advertising.
Note: Even though the Fire Stick is 64-bit, the Fire Stick operating system is only 32-bit (as of August 2019). Use 32-bit apps only.
Use the search (left of Home in the top navigation) to find these.
| App | What it do |
|---|---|
| Downloader Must have! | Simple web browser that can install apks from links. You must install this to download anything not on the Amazon app store. |
| ES File Explorer | Manage files and start ftp server. Personally, I like Mixplorer (see below). |
Use Downloader to open these links:
| App | What it do |
|---|---|
| Kodi | The king of media players |
| Mixplorer | File manager, FTP server, Cloud client |
| Retroarch | Game launcher for emulation. Install cores, scan folders for games, play. |
| Tachiyomi | Manga reader; add Readcomiconline.to extension to read comics. Needs mouse or touchscreen. |
| BS Player | No nonsense media player. Browser (local or network) and play. |
| Smart YoutubeTV | Smart YoutubeTV plays videos without ads. |
| App | What it do |
|---|---|
| Fire TV | Use your phone as the Fire remote. Includes keyboard and Alexa. Look for this on your phone's app store. |
| App | Notes |
|---|---|
| Netflix | Paid account login |
| Youtube | |
| CBC Gem | account login |
| CTV | Cable provider login, 2x 2 minutes of commerical blocks |
| GlobalTV | Includes GlobalTV, History, Food Network, HGTV, W Network, Slice, Showcase, National Geographic, Adult Swim. Cable provider login |
| CityTV | Cable provider login |
| FXNow | Cable provider login |
| TubiTV | Login for watchlist. Commericals |
There are no Amazon apps for [Shaw Bluecurve] and the Android app doesn't work on the FireTV.
| App | Notes |
|---|---|
| APKMirror | All free and vetted apps from the Android Police |
| F-droid | All free and open source - but very slow but looks legit |
| Aptoide | This messed up my Retroarch installation - seems sketchy... |
I'm not really a big fan of installing the Google Play Store because of privacy concerns and introducing more background tasks.
| Console | Core |
|---|---|
| Arcade | Mame2010, FB Alpha |
| Atari 2600 | Stella |
| Lynx | Handy |
| Turbo Grafx 16 | Beetle PCE Fast |
| Gameboy/Color | Gamebatte |
| Gameboy Advance | mGBA |
| NES | Nestopia UE, FCEUmm. Mesen is slow from my testing - but supports HD packs |
| SNES | Snes9x |
| Virtualboy | Beetle VB |
| N64 | Mupenplus FX (App) |
| Genesis, Mastersystem, Gamegear, 32x* | Genesis Plux GX, PicoDrive* |
| Neo Geo Pocket | Beetle Neopop |
| Playstation | PCSX ReARMed |
| PSP | PPSSPP (App) |
Games not showing up after scanning? Do a manual scan or use the Retroarch Playlist Editor and/or edit your .ipl files.
If you want to browse games using a Netflix-like interface use Arc Browser ($8USD, $12CAD). See this Arc tutorial.
Set the Bind Hold (Settings > Input) from 2 to 1 to avoid triggering the pairing mode on the controller.
Save space on your Stick by using a usb drive: Create folders (directories) on your usb drive for roms/consoles, then configure Retroarch to use these directories (Settings, Directories)
For other resources that Retroarch downloads and/or creates, like thumbnails, save states, etc, create the follow folder structure:
/[your_external_drive]/Android/data/com.retroarch/[thumbnail_folder_name]
or
/[your_external_drive]/Android/data/com.retroarch/[savestate_folder_name]
...etc.
Hold the Home button down.
Go into your Amazon account on web browser or phone app: Account > Your Devices > Manage (button/dropdown), edit the device name
Instead of using looking for a Gamepad use the other Bluetooth device menu item. I had to do this with my Gamesir gamepad.
- ETA Prime (emulation)
- Triple M
- Electrical M.D.
- JoKu_The_Darksmith's post
- /r/emulation
- /r/retroarch
- /r/firetvstick