Every Roku Streaming Device, Ranked From Worst To Best – BGR

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Roku makes some of the best and most popular streaming devices on the market. It offers a wide selection, from compact stick-style streamers to more powerful desktop media players. In recent years, the company has also launched a projector, self-branded TVs, and a soundbar, giving consumers even more ways to get the Roku smart TV experience.

If you are in the market for a streaming media player, Roku streamers have emerged as an excellent option. They are known for their intuitive and easy-to-use interface, support for Apple AirPlay, and the wide selection of apps, including the top streaming services. Roku also includes hidden features like private listening and guest mode, as well as the ability to play local TV channels.

However, with so many options to choose from, which Roku streaming device should you go for? Don’t worry. To help, we have ranked every streaming device currently sold by the company.  To keep things simple, we are focusing only on the general-purpose streamers that you can plug into your existing TV to get the Roku experience. 

Although the Roku Streaming Stick sits at the bottom of the company’s portfolio and this list, it’s by no means a slacker. One of the latest additions to the company’s lineup, it’s a budget streaming stick designed for up to 1080p streaming and plugs right into your TV’s HDMI port. It takes power from your TV’s barely used but pretty helpful USB port, thanks to its meagre 2.2W consumption, and doesn’t need a dedicated power brick.

Despite its affordable nature, it packs the same Roku software as the company’s more expensive streamers. Other features include dual-band Wi-Fi for internet connectivity and a voice remote. It can also pass Dolby and DTS audio formats to your TV for playback if supported. Moreover, it supports Bluetooth Headphone Mode, which lets you pair your Bluetooth headphones with the streaming device to get audio directly in your ears. Unfortunately, it lacks HDR support and the “Fast app launch” feature, which you get with other Roku streamers. Although Roku doesn’t explain what “Fast app launch” means, it likely refers to under-the-hood improvements that help speed up app launches.

The Roku Streaming Stick may not be as feature-rich as the company’s other options, but at $30, it’s a solid option if you want something inexpensive to bring Roku’s software to your TV. If you have an HD TV and don’t plan to upgrade soon, there is little reason to choose any other Roku streamer.

The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is another of the company’s relatively recent models and is a pretty balanced offering when it comes to 4K streaming. It has almost everything you want in a compact media streamer, and it’s reasonably priced. For example, it supports HDR10 and HDR10+ streaming in 4K, has all the Roku goodness, and comes with a capable voice remote. Like the Roku Streaming Stick, it supports Bluetooth headphones and doesn’t require a separate wall adapter.

The only notable omission is the lack of Dolby Vision HDR support, a dynamic HDR format that helps deliver lifelike colors in content. However, for it to work, you need both a TV that supports it and content that’s mastered in Dolby Vision. It also can’t process Dolby and DTS audio itself, like the company’s other stick-style offerings, but it can pass the audio to your TV or soundbar. It carries a list price of $40 and can be an excellent companion to any 4K TV.

Although the Roku Streaming Stick 4K sits above the Plus model in the company’s portfolio and is $10 more, it only offers two notable additions: Support for Dolby Vision HDR and a power cable that doubles as a Wi-Fi antenna. Otherwise, it has all the same features as the Streaming Stick Plus. For example, it can stream in 4K HDR, has the same Roku OS features, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, “Fast app launch” support, and a compact design. It also comes with the same Roku Voice Remote as the Streaming Stick and the Plus model.

It’s missing the Streaming Stick Plus’ Bluetooth Headphone Mode and comes with a power brick because not all TV USB ports can deliver enough juice to power it, as it needs around 3.5 watts. That said, if your TV has a USB 3.0 port – typically indicated by a blue plastic insert – it may offer enough power to run the Streaming Stick 4K without the wall adapter.

Roku Ultra is the most feature-rich offering in its streaming portfolio. This product has a desktop form factor and carries a $100 price tag. The Ultra gets you everything available with the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, such as 4K streaming, support for HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision, and the “Fast app launch” feature. However, it also features faster Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, a USB 3.0 port, and an Ethernet port for wired connectivity.

Roku Ultra’s bundled remote is the most capable of the bunch, with backlit buttons, a lost remote finder function, support for charging via the built-in USB-C port, and extra buttons for live TV. Moreover, the streaming device supports the Bluetooth Headphone Mode and the Dolby Atmos audio format, a feature missing from Roku’s other streaming devices. If you want the most powerful Roku streamer, the Ultra is an easy pick, and it justifies its price tag with an excellent feature set.

Roku has an excellent selection of streaming devices. To rank these streamers, we looked at their feature set, pricing, and how they fit in the current television landscape. For example, 4K televisions are becoming pretty common, and the easy availability of 4K content via streaming services may potentially incentivize holdovers to upgrade to a 4K model. We considered these market realities and consumer sentiments while finalizing our ranking. Additionally, we looked at reviews from verified buyers to assess the performance of each Roku media streamer.