Amazon Prime Video is getting a design rehaul, and it looks a lot like Netflix

Amazon’s Prime Video has never really been known for its user interface (UI) as compared to the likes of Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar. While it does have some features, like the X-Ray feature that shows you information about the cast and trivia when you pause content, that other content-streaming platforms do not have, it has always felt a little cluttery and rough. But that is going to change soon, with Amazon FINALLY giving Prime a long-overdue rehaul. 

Over the next few weeks Amazon is going to roll out a new Prime Video experience for Android and connected living room devices like smart TVs, Fire TV hardware, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, and game consoles. Amazon announced that the new design will make Prime Video less busy and less overwhelming for users. As The Verge points out - the changes are going to make Prime Video look a lot like Netflix, but “maybe that’s for the best”. 

The main navigation on Prime Video has been shifted to the left side of the screen and will look like a vertical column of icons now. There are six main tabs under that - Search, Home, Store, Live TV, Free, and My Stuff. The ‘Home’ section is getting sub-sections for movies, TV shows, and sports while the ‘Store’ tab will have sub-menus for Prime Channels (subscriptions), rentals/purchases, and deals. 

The re-haul is also bringing in a Top 10 list on the home screen which will show you what is currently popular and new on Prime Video and what is available to you under the Prime subscription. The shows and movies that are a part of the subscription plan you are on will have a blue checkmark in their description and the content that needs to be rented pr purchased will show a gold shopping bag icon. 

The carousel on the home page for Prime Video will retain the same landscape artwork as it currently does but Amazon is also bringing in something called ‘super carousels’. Super carousels will show off portrait, poster-style art and will expand into a video preview when you hover over a title. 

The Prime Video redesign will come to iOS and the web soon over the coming months, but not all devices will be able to run this redesigned experience. For example, PlayStation 3 and third-gen Apple TV from 2012 cannot handle these new changes and thus will not be updated. Devices that do not get the new redesigned version will continue to run the in the current format and still get access to all the content they are subscribed to.