Roku Streaming Stick 4K review 2024: excellent 4K media streamer

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K had to replace the best streaming device when it came out. Yes, this $50 stick is the follow-up to the Roku Streaming Stick Plus. It’s not a huge improvement, but it does fix one of the biggest problems with the Roku Streaming Stick Plus while keeping everything we liked about it.

Even though that sounds like a small change, the big change is Dolby Vision, which could be enough for some people to upgrade today. Roku also says that its performance is faster, which is harder to test on a streaming device. This review of the Roku Streaming Stick 4K will show why it’s a worthy successor to the throne and why it’s at the top of the list of the best Roku devices.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K specifications

Roku Streaming Stick 4K review: Design

Roku made some slight hardware changes to the Streaming Stick 4K. The dongle is now more blocky and longer, and it has a matte finish instead of the shiny plastic of the Streaming Stick Plus. Of course, the Stick is designed to nestle beneath a Screen so few people will see those adjustments. Although the new Roku does not support Wi-Fi 6, unlike the Fire TV Max, we do not see this as a major issue at this time. You can buy this tv stick from its official website.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K review: Interface

Roku’s interface is still the easiest of the major streamers. It shows apps in a simple grid, and TV shows and movies don’t show up until you click through to the app. Overall, it feels less cluttered than Fire TV and Google TV, which have menus with a lot of thumbnails. However, I miss being able to keep watching a show right from the home page.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K review: Streaming quality

RokuOS 10.5 came out at the same time as the Streaming Stick 4K. It has a lot of voice-related updates, which people who buy the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus with its always-listening Voice Remote Pro may enjoy more than those who buy the Streaming Stick 4K with the regular Roku remote.

So, when I told the Roku Streaming Stick 4K to “Play Squid Games on Netflix” and “Play Fiona Apple in Spotify,” it did so quickly. The second one went straight to a good playlist, but the Streaming Stick 4K let me choose which episode of Squid Games to watch, which made sense.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K review: Performance

Based on what we knew about the new Roku Streaming Stick, we expected a small performance boost, and that’s exactly what we got. With a new SoC, the Roku Streaming Stick does boot up about 30% faster and navigate a bit faster. Apps opened quickly and didn’t take much time to load. For apps like Netflix and Amazon, the screen filled up with title cards so we could almost start watching the next show right away.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K review: Price and availability

The new Roku Streaming Stick 4K became available in mid-October 2021 and was released alongside the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ that includes the Roku Voice Remote Pro. The Roku Streaming Stick 4K will cost you $49.99/£49.99 (about AU$70) and the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ will cost you $69.99 (about AU$100).

Compared to the competition, that’s very close to the brand-new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which costs $54.99/£55/AU$99, and the Chromecast with Google TV, which costs $49.99/£59.99/AU$99. Both of these players have features that are similar to the new Roku Streaming Stick 4K, and for some people, they might even be a better deal.

Final Words

The new Roku Streaming Stick 4K (2021) comes with a number of enticing new features, including support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+ as well as a faster startup speed. Furthermore, switching between apps now feels even more immediate than it did in the past. Although it has some relatively minor drawbacks, it is an extremely reliable choice considering the cost.

FAQs

Is the 4K Roku Streaming Stick worth it?

If you’re not picky about listening to your shows and movies through headphones, the cheaper 4K version of the Roku Streaming Stick may be all you need.

Does Roku stick cost monthly?

Does Roku Charge a Fee? At first, you will have to pay for your Roku device. Roku won’t charge you again after that. There is no monthly payment.

Should I buy a Roku TV or stick?

Roku has more features and device options than the Fire TV Stick, and has more channels/apps overall, including free content.