Roku has always been known for offering some of the most competitive streaming sticks on the market, and its latest launches are no different.
They are the Roku Streaming Stick (£29.99/$29.99) and Roku Streaming Stick Plus (£39.99/$39.99), and they will replace the Roku Express and Roku Express 4K when they launch – though stock left of the old models will continue to be sold until shelves are empty.
The Roku Streaming Stick is best for those who want streaming on a budget. Along with playback control, there are shortcut buttons for specific streaming apps such as Netflix, and a button for voice control. However, content is capped at HD/1080p. So, this stick is perfect for those who only have Netflix Standard rather than Premium or aren’t fussed about 4K.
If you can’t be without UHD streaming, then the Roku Streaming Stick Plus is the best option for you. It features all the bells and whistles of the media player above, just with 4K picture quality and HDR colour. Roku’s interface is also extremely easy to use and has a wide range of apps.
These streaming sticks can be plugged directly into the back of your TV, an improvement on previous builds with a separate cable and a box, which often made accessing other HDMI ports more difficult. They also now have a TV power button and volume controls, so users shouldn’t need to reach for a second remote.
Perhaps one big draw will be the price, especially compared to Google’s latest device – the Google TV Streamer, which replaced the more affordable Chromecast. This will set you back £99/$99 at full price.
Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry
While yes, this does feature more advanced features such as an Ethernet port for faster wired speeds and a more powerful processor, these features may not be enough for users to pay three times as much in the case of the regular Streaming Stick.
The new Roku models launch in the US on 6 May. UK readers must wait until June for the devices to hit shelves. You can see how we rank the current models compared to rivals from Google and Amazon in our list of the best streaming sticks.
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