Jordan O'BrienRoku has become a name synonymous with set-top boxes, with its products regularly being mentioned in the same breath as the Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. Unfortunately, the company has paid little attention to the UK market, meaning its sales this side of the pond have lagged far behind its competitors. Thankfully, Roku is finally addressing those issues – with its 4K streaming stick now debuting in the UK.
The Roku Streaming Stick+ features everything that users have come to know and love about the Roku ecosystem. That includes its easy-to-use UI, 4,000+ streaming channels, and powerful search functionality. This new stick matches all those features with support for 4K HDR streaming.
Roku is not exactly the first manufacturer to offer a compact 4K set-top box that simply plugs into the back of the TV, however. Google already offers the Chromecast Ultra and Amazon has recently refreshed its Fire TV with a more compact design.
Despite these two offerings competing with the new Roku Streaming Stick+, this new offering won’t compete on price. That’s because the Roku Streaming Stick+ is priced at £79.99, which is £10 more than the Chromecast Ultra and Fire TV. It’s also significantly more expensive than the same device in the US, with the Roku Streaming Stick+ costing just $69.99 the other side of the pond.
The internals of the Roku Streaming Stick+ are decent, with support for 4K HDR streaming up to 60fps and an advanced wireless receive that is built into the power cord, but this device is no more impressive than its competitors. It’s also a kick in the teeth for UK customers since they will have to pay significantly more for the same product.
For those who don’t care about 4K HDR streaming, however, there is an alternative that will save some pennies. That’s because the set-top box manufacturer is also bringing its Roku Express streaming stick to the UK. This stick costs just £29.99 and is ideal for the spare TV in the bathroom or kitchen, with a fast user interface to access over 150,000 movies or TV shows.
Both sticks come with remote controls, although those purchasing the more expensive Streaming Stick+ will find a voice control remote included. This allows users to search for content using their voice, and even turn the TV on and off – eliminating the need for a separate TV remote.
This new line of streaming players will be available starting October 18 and are expected in stores towards the end of October.