Long seen as the good plan for streaming with 4K/UHD included, Amazon Prime Video now aligns its strategy with that of Netflix Or Disney+. In the United States, the platform charges more for the best image quality and reserves several functions for a new option.
Since April 10, 2026, this option called Prime Video Ultra replaced the old formula without advertising. For the moment limited to the United States, it most likely announces what awaits French subscribers: a more expensive Prime, a downgraded basic offer. Here are the key points to remember.
Prime Video Ultra: why is 4K becoming a paid option at Amazon?
Across the Atlantic, the “Ad Free” option billed at $2.99 per month, or approximately €2.80, has been replaced by Prime Video Ultra at $4.99 per month, around €4.60. This increase of almost 67% is added to the subscription Amazon Prime at $14.99 per month, around €13.80, which brings the bill closer to $20 per month, or almost €18.40.
Ultra now includes ad removal, access to 4K/UHD and at Dolby Atmos. Subscribers who remain on the standard offer included in Prime are limited to Full HD 1080p, although HDR and sometimes Dolby Vision remain available. For American customers, Prime Video 4K becomes paid and clearly goes into a premium formula.
Concretely, what does Prime Video Ultra change for your daily use?
To soften the change, Amazon Prime Video also increases quotas. With Ultra, the number of simultaneous streams increases from three to five and the offline download cap from 25 to 100 titles. The standard offer progresses a little, with four streams and around 50 downloads possible.
In practice, it is mainly large families who will benefit from these more generous figures. All subscribers, on the other hand, lose automatic access to 4K: a 4K TV connected to an Atmos home cinema will only be fully exploited with Ultra, while users limited to a 1080p screen will see less of the difference. Amazon also warns that some live sporting events will retain advertising, even with Ultra, due to specific agreements.
Prime Video in France: how much will you pay if Ultra arrives here?
In France, Amazon Prime costs €6.99 per month, or €69.90 per year, with Prime Video and 4K/UHD included. The current ad-free option, billed at €1.99 per month, removes ads without affecting image quality, which remains more generous than most competitors.
If the Ultra model is applied here, observers are aiming for an option around €3.99 to €4.99 per month. With a price of €3.99, access to Prime Video in 4K and without advertising would increase to €10.98 per month, compared to €8.98 today. At €4.99, we would rise to €11.98 per month. Amazon would then remain cheaper than Netflix Premium at €21.99 or Disney+ Premium at €15.99, but the gap would narrow significantly, with a basic service which would offer fewer advantages than before.