The Best Firestick Alternative in 2025: Why It’s Time to Upgrade to the Nvidia Shield Pro
Hello everyone and thank you for stopping by our blog, “The Best Firestick Alternative in 2025.” We are D3vicx (devices), the experts at customizing and sideloading premium streaming devices so you can watch TV entertainment worldwide for FREE.
I first want to say sorry to the millions of people who have to replace their Firesticks in 2025. We know the stress and frustration that comes with starting over with a new streaming device. So this won't happen to you again, stay clear of all budget friendly aka (cheap) streaming devices. History has a habit of repeating itself.....I'm looking at you Onn Boxes.
Since I can remember all the way back to 2014, Firesticks were the streaming devices to pick up. Back then, you could download XBMC and load addons onto the devices so that you could stream movies, TV shows, and anime all for free.
As time went on, the Beast, came out with the first ever built. I remember this so clearly. I was talking with my cousin and he had the basic setup until I showed him the Beast build on a jailbroken iPad. Yes, the iPad was really jailbroken back in those days and we had the renamed app Kodi loaded onto it.
From there, I remembered a phone call from my mom when I was on my motorcycle talking about someone wanting to charge her $125. Later I found out what she was talking about, which was the first Firestick. From Virginia all the way to Los Angeles, CA, Firesticks in 2014 were making its mark on the market for tech people.
People were done with downloading torrents and now, live streaming whatever it was that you wanted was so in. Man, how time flies.
Now you know our story and how we ended up offering devices. But when we really started was when we moved back to NYC.
This was the downfall of the Firesticks for us, this was around the same time I lost my mind. One day in 2018, I unplug the Firestick from the TV and tossed it out the window of my fifth floor apartment in Brooklyn New York.
Welcome to real streaming and the peace you can find with it when owning the right streaming device. Are you on a budget or not is the question. Either way, it’s time for you to learn what is a great investment when you are looking for a Firestick alternative.
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Why the Firestick is No Longer a Good Streaming Option in 2025
The things people have overlooked for years when it came to streaming devices, has now come back to bite you where the sun don’t shine. This is why YouTubers get on my last nerve. They tell you to buy this and buy that, not because it’s the best product in it’s field but because they got a 3% kickback.
3% is why they told you all, year after year to buy the latest and greatest Firestick.
We would have started a YouTube Channel earlier but we found our calling in blogs. Blogs that explain to you, that Firesticks where a piece of ….hmm what is a nice word, crap? I can say whatever I want and the only person I answer to is myself, unlike a YouTube Channel or any other social media platforms. I can tell you the truth about these YouTubers and Firestick products without being censored.
In 2018, Firesticks started to get on my last nerve and drive me crazy.
We would get the latest and greatest, do a little loading and within 6 month to a year, the thing would slow down so much you could no longer use it. I would go onto YouTube and waste hours and hours of my TIME I will never get back trying to fix this little device. Little did I know back then, the device was build to fell and the YouTubers knew there was no fix even though they had hundreds of videos on “How to stop buffering on your Firestick.” I got so fed up with the Firestick, I tossed it out of the window one day from the fifth floor and I haven’t looked back.
Now, I did make the mistake in getting another cheap streaming device, the Google Chromecast 4K. At the time, I didn’t know I was making a mistake but I’m still glad I did it because I know first hand, that device was the same as the Firestick.
How Amazon is Blocking Your Streaming Apks
Looking to stream third-party apks (apps) not found in the Amazon App Store? Well, to bad. They no longer want these applications on their devices. “Hold up, what do you mean their devices, I paid for this Firestick, it’s my device.”
Oh, that is so cute if you think that.
Have you once ever read the information you always said yes to when you first turn on a Fire device? Most likely not. You may own the physical device, true, but Amazon owns the software.
Have you ever heard of a device forcing you to update your software when you didn’t want to? No, really think about it? You own the device right? You should have a say when you want to update the software on the device you paid for, right?
“Oh, the updates are for security reasons.”
All lies, these updates are to control your device and see what you are using them for. Let me ask you this…..can you root your Fire devices? Like in settings, is that even an option?
Of course not. Most likely, you are like, wtf am I talking about. Hold on, stay with me. My point is for over the last 10 years, Amazon has been controlling your device and using all this data to sell you more stuff to lock you into their ecosystem.
Sounds familiar?…..Apple.
I will say this is not out of the blue. About 2 to 3 summers ago, I do remember Amazon saying they are leaving Android to come up with there own OS for their devices. The reason for this is to stop sideloading for free streaming. Amazon is losing too much money on this, so sideloading must go. Here we are in 2025 and they are doing just as they said.
Boy, I’m starting to think this was all a setup.
Let Us Explain how every work around feeds Amazon more Data
There are no work arounds anymore. The more YouTubers make videos about how to work around this problem of sideloading, the easier it is for someone who works for Amazon to see that YouTube video and plug the whole on their end. Thereby forcing another update to your Firestick device.
So now there is a block on the origial APKs and the ad-free APKs, thanks again YouTubers.
So think about it, isn’t it best to try something new and better? And no, I’m not talking about that trash can of an Onn Box either. The best Firestick alternative in 2025 for a streaming device is the Nvidia Shield Pro.
Remember when I was asking about can you root the Firestick, well, guest what? You can root a Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019. Do you not know what rooting is, don’t worry, I had to look it up to. You become the admin of the device. To me that means you have full control and with great power comes great responsibility.
No, we don’t root the Nvidia Shield Pros, our Elite System works with the Android 9 version 8.2.1 software, giving us more control over the device. No other streaming device on the market gives this kind of control to your devices, hints why you see the phrase, “jailbreak” everywhere. The Nvidia Shield is an open-source streaming device and it’s the only one like this on the market still today in 2025.
This is why you can easily customized and fully sideload the Nvidia Shield Pro without headaches if you know what you are doing.
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The Truth About Sideloading in 2025: Firesticks Are Done
The time has come to stick a fork into Firesticks, Fire TV Cubes, Fire TVs, and any other Amazon Fire device you are sideloading. Again, we can’t say it was a shock at all. Even though the signs were there, people kept buying these devices.
And even more crazier, people are on our website everyday reading the blog, Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019 vs. Fire TV Cube 3: Which is Better in 2025?
It’s like they don’t know or understand what is happening right now with the Amazon Fire devices because they are still trying to compare. Well, the time for that is up. There is nothing left to compare.
Top 3 Reasons Firestick Users Are Switching
I see the 3 main reasons for users leaving the Firestick:
No more sideloading APKs: Amazon is blocking everything, if it’s not in there App Store. This is for the mouse toggle, and customize launcher. To me these APKs are not even a problem. The customize launcher is just to avoid all the ads on the Home Screen of the device. I guess Amazon see’s this as a no, you need to be marketed to all the time.
Slowing Down: As the device updates, it slows down more and more. I’ve never dealt with such a slow piece of tech like this in 2025. Just trying to find one app on the Fire TV Cube 3 when I was trying to test it was very painful.
Old software: These Amazon Fire TVs are running on software from the 80s. Oh yes, that is how they are able to keep the prices so low. The hardware and software is over 40 years old.
Oh let’s get into this below, of the 40 year old software system Amazon is using in on their devices. Remember, you don’t own it.
Do you know the difference between a 32 and 64 bit hardware and software? Don’t worry, either did I before I saw this video here we like to show people. This video is from 10 years ago by the way.
Let me tell you a quick story. Back in the day, I had a Firestick. It worked okay at first. But over time, every time they pushed an update, it got slower and slower. Eventually, one day... it just froze. I pressed buttons. I unplugged it. Nothing. It just gave up.
Here’s what most people don’t know, it wasn’t my internet. It wasn’t even the apks. It was the Firestick’s brain (software) or what tech folks call the 32-bit software.
See, devices like the Firestick uses 32-bit hardware and software (aka the brain). That means they can only handle a small amount of memory, up to 4 gigabytes. That might sound like a lot, but when you're trying to stream a big 4K or Dolby Vision movie that is 24GB, it's just not enough space. When your device runs out of memory, it starts looking for space somewhere else, like the slower hard drive on the device. That’s when the buffering starts. The spinning circle. The lag. And the frustration. No amount of YouTube videos tricks is going to fix this problem when it’s design with such limitionation.
Now let’s talk about the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, this bad boy runs on 64-bit hardware and software. That means its brain (software) can handle way more memory. Like, billions of times more than the 4 gigabytes that the 32-bit is max at. This keeps everything running smooth, your apks, your streams, your high-quality movies, all in one place, and all super fast.
That’s why we only build our Elite System on the Nvidia Shield Pro. It’s the only device that can keep up with the power of today’s streaming and the future too.
If you're tired of buffering, slowdowns, and random freezes, stop using old tech with a tiny brain. It’s time to upgrade to a smarter, faster system that actually works.
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The Hidden Cost of Using Firestick Devices
Do you know what the true cost you pay when dealing with a Firestick? Your TIME that you will never get back. Did you know the average person who owns a Firestick spends 3 to 5 hours online trying to find ways of fixing the device after one software update. Other even try to find the random person they bought their Jailbroken Firestick from to never hear from them again.
And this is just the start.
We are not even talking about when the problem happens again and then you are back online wasting your TIME. TIME is a limited, high value resource, so why are you wasting it online trying to find an answer that doesn’t exist?
What Makes Our Elite System on a Jailbroken Nvidia Shield Pro Different From Jailbroken Firesticks
Use money to buy back your TIME. This is why we offer our Jailbroken Nvidia Shield Pros. We understand and know the problems you are having because we had them for years too.
We know and understand the problems you are going to have, because we have been through them already. The difference is, we got tired of them and our team created a solution to all those little streaming problems when creating our Elite System.
There is nothing worth saving on any Fire device.
They are designed to be slow and crash out on you, by then forcing you to buy another. I just think that Amazon planned for you to buy more, rather than waste your time online trying to fix the one you have.
With our Elite System you will never run into buffering and lagging. How is this, your Elite System doesn’t buffer or lag on the Nvidia Shield Pro?
We have the streaming device on a stable software, Android 9 version 8.2.1. See, we can control the Nvidia Shield Pro right out of the box by flashing the system and downgrading it back to Android 9, and more importantly for full customized control the version must be 8.2.1. You can’t do any of this with the Firestick.
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The Elite System Setup on the Nvidia Shield Pro: A True Firestick Alternative
We are taking it back, give me a second. When we first started to customized Firesticks, we did start out with Kodi builds. Man, it was so easy back then to load these build onto the devices. The hard part was teaching our customers how to then update the builds on Kodi and how to clear the cache to keep the device running smoother for long periods of time. If you guested our customers was bad at this, you are 100% right.
Fast forward to 2025, we have covered it all from ads popping up in the APKs and how to block them. To expanding the storage to 128GB so you can now download your Movies, TV Series, and Anime onto the device.
Don’t worry, there is a easy way to transfer the files off the device and onto your SSD.
When we say everything you can stream is FREE, we mean just that. No blocks, no slowdowns, no paywalls, no debrid needed to access 3D, 4K, HDR, or Dolby Vision files. Everything is in order and organize, easy to use. This is why we created walkthrough videos to show you how easy it is to use your brand new Jailbroken Nvidia Shield Pro loaded with our Elite System.
So what is this Elite System?
A customized launcher that host 55 APKs working together as 1, giving you access to TV entertainment for free worldwide. Now, due to copyright, we will not disclose to much of what you can get. But use your imagination and yes, you have access to all of that on this one device.
This is a true, plug-and-play with high-speed performance streaming device. Do listen when we tell you to plug in your ethernet cable for maximum results.
WiFi 5 is not going to cut it when trying to live stream an MMA PPV. WiFi 5 doesn’t travel far nor does it travel through walls. And most likely all your devices at home are running on WiFi 5 clogging up the connection.
Remember, this device came out in the Fall of 2019, WiFi 6 was not a thing yet.
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Why GPU-Powered Streaming Devices Outperform CPU-Based Ones
When I see the Aftvnew benchmark test on all the streaming devices with CPU and GPU, I think it’s totally misleading to you the customer if you don’t even understand what is being measured. Like do you even know the difference between the CPU, GPU, let alone a TPU? Don’t worry, TPU is new and only for big systems like AI.
CPU = Central Processing Unit, GPU = Graphic Processing Unit, and TPU = Tensor Processing Unit.
Let me break it down like this... Imagine your CPU is like a baby learning to walk. The first learn to stand, then one foot in front of the other. They’re smart, they start to look around as they get use to the movement. They think about every move. This is your CPU on your laptop or phone, it can handle lots of different things like checking email, browsing the web, or writing a paper. Great for everyday stuff.
But with today’s streaming? That’s a whole different race.
Now picture the GPU, like a NASCAR driver on a racetrack. Zooming around at crazy speeds. The GPU isn’t worried about doing everything it has one main job: go fast and handle a lot of stuff at once. That’s what you need when you’re watching movies in 4K, HDR, or Dolby Vision.
You don’t want your movie to walk… you want it to fly.
That’s why I don’t just look at the CPU when I’m picking a streaming device. I look at both. I want a device with a smart CPU and a powerful GPU. Not some streaming box with a fast brain and weak legs or the other way around.
You ever watched a live game and it stutters or lags right when it gets good? That’s because the GPU couldn’t keep up.
With the Nvidia Shield Pro, it has a powerful combo of both, the CPU and the GPU. The CPU handles the thinking, the GPU handles the action and your stream runs like a dream. Now when you see this, NVIDIA® Tegra® X1+ processor with a 256-core GPU and 3 GB RAM, you will understand what it means. It’s talking about the CPU, GPU, and RAM for the device.
So don’t just buy a device based on one number. Make sure it’s got both the brain and the engine.
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Don’t Get Stuck with 2017 Tech, Upgrade Your Streaming Life.
Is it not about time you step into the future of streaming when you need it the most? I know you see all the scary stories about the Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019 on YouTube and Reddit. People talking about how their Nvidia Shield TV Pro no longer work. That is because they didn’t know what they were doing with such a strong device from the start.
Now, before the upgrade to Experience 9.2.0, all messed up Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019s could have been saved. They would have needed to just been flashed and downgraded back to a stable software like Android 9 version 8.2.1.
Why do I say, could have been?
Well, from what I read on Nvidia.com. Once you upgrade to Experience 9.2.0, you can no longer rollback (downgrade) the devices software. They have somehow blocked holding A+B to access the Bootloader screen on the device. However, I think if you try this old way it may work: (Turn your Shield off completely. When it is powered down, hold Back and Home and hit the Power button. Continue to hold the Back and Home keys until the bootloader appears.)
See, this is where we come in. We load our Elite System onto the device so you don’t have to spend your TIME doing this yourself. If you are not a big tech-savvy person when it comes to these streaming devices, you have a lot of learning to catch up on.
This is why we, D3vicx are the experts at customizing and sideloading the Nvidia Shield Pros.
So stop looking at YouTubers and reading Reddit, those people do this as a hobby with full time day jobs. Listen to the experts who have a business ran on solve people’s streaming problems with a premium streaming device. You noticed how we only offer one streaming device. We know, we have been there and seen it too.
Have an experience like never before and find out what it’s like to own a true luxury item that you just love because it works. We are talking for the nex 4 to 8 years you never worrying about this again.
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In Conclusion: The Best Firestick Alternative
To sum it all up, it's time in 2025 for you to find a Firestick alternative if you are a sideloader, a streamer, or just a normal person that is tired of headaches.
Now our Jailbroken Nvidia Shield Pro is not for everyone and that is ok. I would then recommend you try out the Nvidia Shield TV (Tube). I was very surprised at how fast that device was knowing it's on a 32-bit hardware and software system too. The difference is the combo of fast a CPU and GPU that makes it magical.
If you want to do a deeper dive into the Nvidia Shield TV (Tube) check out our blog, Jailbroken NVIDIA SHIELD TUBE: Still the Best Budget Streaming Device in 2025?
But if you do want the King of Kings, there is nothing on planet earth better than the Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019 in 2025 heading into 2026. Be apart of the few Elite that will be free streaming for the next 4 to 8 years. Now that’s what I call an experience.
Order now, supplies due sell out fast.
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Related Post: Benefits of Owning a Jailbroken Nvidia Shield Pro in 2025
