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Amazon is finally updating Prime Video’s crappy UI

Amazon is finally updating Prime Video’s crappy UI
Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney

  • Updated:

We have a story here that on the face of it may not be very exciting at all, but if it does apply to you, you will know exactly why it is a big deal. Amazon is finally giving the Amazon Prime user interface a long overdue update and rejuvenation. Let’s take a look.

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For too long Amazon Prime Video has been a bit of an afterthought for Amazon. Are people subscribing for the TV and Movie package or are they really subscribing for the free shipping? Either way, do we really have to put a lot of effort into making Prime Video if people have reasons to subscribe to it anyway? Well, it looks like finally, that type of thinking at Amazon HQ is going out the window, as Amazon has begun rolling out an Amazon Prime UI refresh.

The new and redesigned Prime Video UI is currently rolling out to all Prime Video apps working on lounge devices such as Fire TV sticks, Samsung TVs, etc. After those devices receive the update, it will also roll out to Android phones and tablets and iOS devices.

So, what is all this about then? Well, it might have something to do with $250 Amazon has shelled out its upcoming and highly anticipated Rings of Power, Lord of the Rings spin-off series. Why would you spend a quarter of a billion dollars, which could potentially rise to more than a billion, making an incredibly beautiful fantasy world come to life only then to serve it up on a platform that the internet regularly refers to as a pile of hot crap?

The update is borrowing a lot from Netflix with floating windows to select your TV show or movie and big flowing previews showing up in the background. The new UI will also include much clearer prompts to show what content is included in a Prime subscription and what is not.

This move from Prime is interesting as Netflix’s recent troubles have been widely publicized, and the streaming platform looking to a cheaper ad-supported tier as a way to attract new users. Prime Video is already a much cheaper platform than Netflix so with a shiny new UI and big blockbuster productions coming, it might be about to take a big chunk out of Netflix’s already dwindling share of the market.

Check out our Complete Guide to Amazon Prime Video for all you need to know about the streaming platform.

Image via: Prime Video

Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney is a news reporter for Softonic, keeping readers up to date on everything affecting their favorite apps and programs. His beat includes social media apps and sites like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat. Patrick also covers antivirus and security issues, web browsers, the full Google suite of apps and programs, and operating systems like Windows, iOS, and Android.

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