Does Echo Show 5 Have Zigbee? No — Here's What You Need Instead
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Short answer
No
No, the Echo Show 5 (both the newest model and the 2nd Gen) has no built-in Zigbee radio.
Amazon only built a Zigbee smart-home hub into a small handful of Echo devices - the 4th Gen Echo (spherical), the 3rd Gen Echo Show 10, and the Echo Hub. The Echo Show 5 line, including both the newest model and the 2nd Gen version, was never listed among those devices and has no Zigbee radio inside it, according to Amazon's own support documentation on which Echo devices include a built-in hub.
The Echo Show 5 connects to your home network over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth only. It can control smart home devices through Alexa, but only ones that either connect directly to your Wi-Fi/cloud (like most smart plugs and some bulbs) or that pair through a separate hub of their own (Zigbee bulbs via a Hue Bridge, Zigbee locks via a SmartThings hub, etc.). The Show 5 itself never talks Zigbee to the device.
This is true for both Echo Show 5 SKUs listed here - Amazon has not shipped a version of the Show 5 with a radio upgrade for Zigbee.
What to do instead
If you want to run Zigbee devices with Alexa, you need either an Echo model that actually has the hub built in (4th Gen Echo, 3rd Gen Echo Show 10, or Echo Hub) or a standalone Zigbee bridge (Philips Hue Bridge, SmartThings hub, etc.) that the Show 5 can then control through Alexa. Note that the SwitchBot Hub Mini Smart Remote (IR Blaster) listed here is not a Zigbee bridge - it converts Alexa voice/app commands into IR/RF signals for older air conditioners, TVs, and other IR-remote appliances. It's a good fix if your problem is 'my AC has no smart control at all,' but it will not add Zigbee support for Zigbee bulbs, sensors, or locks.
