Amazon Launching a Gaming-Focused Fire TV Device

Amazon on Thursday announced a new version of its Fire TV device, this one designed specifically for "affordable, high-quality gaming." The $140 bundle comes with a Fire TV system (the new, 4K-enabled model), a new game controller, a 32 GB microSD card, and copies of Shovel Knight and DuckTales Remastered.

Amazon Devices VP Peter Larsen said in a statement that, since Fire TV launched in 2014, gaming has been a "customer-favorite." As such, it was time to create a device tailored specifically to gaming. After all, even Amazon referred to the original Fire TV as "absolutely not a game console."

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"The team has worked hard to bring software and feature updates that are important to gamers--the new Fire TV has 75% more processing power, expandable microSD storage, 2x GPU performance, and more games than any other streaming media player," Larsen added.

Amazon also pointed out today that, since Fire TV originally launched, its game library has grown by a whopping 500 percent. More than half of those games cost 99 cents or less. There's quite a wide variety of available titles, too, including Telltale's Tales from the Borderlands, Crossy Road, and Goat Simulator. Fire TV also supports GameFly Streaming, meaning you can play games like Batman: Arkham Asylum, Darksiders II, and Mafia II, among many others, on it.

A new Fire TV gaming controller has also been created, featuring a new "ergonomic design," as well as support for voice search via its built-in microphone. Overall, the controller sports a battery life of up to 90 hours from two AA batteries. Plug in headphones, however, and the battery life will decrease. For a closer look at the controller, click through the images in the gallery above.

Fire TV Gaming Edition launches on October 5. Preorders are available now on Amazon. If you just want the new controller, those go for $50 each.

In other news about Amazon's gaming efforts, three of the company's key figures have left the company.

Outside of Amazon, Apple just recently announced a new Apple TV that makes further strides in gaming.