Roku’s new Streaming Stick 4K media streamer, which replaces the Roku Streaming Stick+, provides some minor but welcome improvements. It still gives you access to a plethora of apps and services, as well as the ability to stream from iOS devices via Apple AirPlay. Of course, it continues to stream 4K HDR content in HDR10. The device now supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+, which were previously only available on the Roku Ultra and certain Roku TVs.
A new long-range Wi-Fi module is also included. We had some issues connecting to 5GHz Wi-Fi during testing, but it didn’t have a significant impact on our experience. Finally, with their robust voice assistants, the similarly priced Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Chromecast With Google TV both offer a bit more in terms of non-media features.
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K was never meant to be seen again. The Roku Streaming Stick 4K, like its predecessor, is primarily a 3.7 x 0.8 x 0.5-inch dongle with an HDMI plug that plugs into the back of your TV. It does, however, include a 3.3 x 0.6 x 0.3-inch long-range Wi-Fi receiver in its USB power cable. A power adapter and the Roku Voice Remote with TV power and volume buttons are also included in the box.
You could skip the power adapter and just plug the USB power cable into your TV, but I discovered that this turns off the Roku Streaming Stick 4K when my relatively new LG TV is turned on. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is a slightly larger rectangular dongle (4.3 x 1.3 x 0.5 inches), while the Chromecast with Google TV is even larger (4.3 x 1.3 x 0.5 inches) (6.4 x 2.4 x 0.5 inches).
RokuOS 10.5 brings a slew of voice-centric updates, which those who purchase the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus with its always-listening Voice Remote Pro may appreciate more than those who purchase the Streaming Stick 4K with the regular Roku remote. Unlike the latter, which went straight to a suitable playlist, the Streaming Stick 4K let me choose which episode of Squid Games to watch, which made sense.