Starting April 10, Amazon will introduce a new subscription tier for its Prime Video service, titled Prime Video Ultra, which will cost $5 per month, an increase from the current $3 monthly fee. This change includes enhanced features such as a higher download limit, increasing from 25 to 100, and the ability to stream on five devices simultaneously instead of three.
However, the move has sparked frustration among existing Prime members. Those who pay $15 monthly or $139 annually for Amazon Prime will no longer have access to 4K UHD streaming, which has been a standard offering. Instead, they will be restricted to 1080p content unless they upgrade to the new tier.
In addition to the pricing changes, Amazon has introduced Dolby Vision support and enhanced concurrent streaming options for the free tier. The recent shift in pricing strategy aligns Amazon with other streaming platforms such as Apple TV, Disney+, and HBO Max, which have also increased their subscription costs.