You will also be able to mark sideloaded apps as favorites, just like you can for official apps, so that they appear at the front of your list of apps. Sideloaded apps will appear alongside “official” apps installed from the Fire TV appstore.
There’s no reason to think this functionality will not also come to the 1st-gen Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. With the 5.0.4 software update for the 2nd-gen Fire TV, we finally gained the ability to launch sideloaded apps from the Fire TV’s “Apps” section. You will be able to access Alexa with either a voice remote, the new gaming controller, or the Fire TV Remote app. There are too many features Alexa is capable of to list here, so skim through all my Alexa articles to get a sense of what the addition of Alexa means for the Fire TV. I say nearly because there are a few things one can do with Alexa on the Echo that are not yet available on the Fire TV platform. This is nearly identical to having an Amazon Echo built into the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick.
The biggest new feature being added by the Fire OS 5 software update is Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. Bluetooth Headphones, Mice, and Keyboard Support.New Voice Remote and Game Controller Support.