We tested Roku’s newest streaming dongle — and it’s clearly the best value on the market
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RokuWe’ve long said that Roku boxes are the best media streamers for most people because they’re fast and convenient, with a dead-simple interface that supports almost every media app in existence, and that doesn't push one platform harder than others.
The one area in which Roku’s lagged behind, however, is dongles. The old Roku Streaming Stick had the same superior UI as its bigger siblings, but compared to other diminutive streamers like the Amazon Fire TV Stick or Google Chromecast, its hardware felt too slow for comfort.
As of today, that’s no longer an issue. The new Roku Streaming Stick, now available for $50, takes everything good about past Roku streamers, adds useful features to the Roku app, and brings significant performance boosts, all in a package that’s both compact and affordable. It’s exactly what the old Streaming Stick should’ve been, and it immediately stands as the best value among media streamers today. We’ve tested it for the past week.
About that performance: The new Stick is comparable to a Roku 2 or 3 in operation, and, in our testing, actually held its own against pricier boxes like the Roku 4 or Amazon Fire TV. Apps rarely took more than a couple seconds longer to load than on those latter devices, and clicking through Roku’s UI was nothing but smooth and responsive, even after several hours of use. It’s not as buttery as the Nvidia Shield, and it can't run multiple apps at once, but for $150 less, it doesn’t feel compromised.
There were some issues, but most of them seemed to be on an app level. Most notably, YouTube’s UI suffered from clear lag, but that was also the case on the Roku 4. Streaming performance in general is dependent on your WiFi, since, like any dongle, the Streaming Stick is too small to have an Ethernet jack. (Stick with the Roku 2 if that’s an issue.) Dual-band WiFi support helps, though there’s no 802.11ac support. Still, we rarely ran into hitches once any video was up and loaded.
It’s worth clarifying that all of this maxes out at 1080p, not 4K, but that’s to be expected at this price. For now, that’s still plenty for most people.
RokuThe other major upgrade is in the Roku app. There, you can hook up a pair of headphones and listen to shows privately, much like you can with the Roku 3 or 4. The difference is those devices have a 3.5mm jack built directly into their remotes; that’s still more convenient, but this is a solid compromise that worked perfectly fine in practice. The only issues are that you have to keep the app open to use this — a bummer for live tweeters — and that it’s best to use a wired pair, since lesser Bluetooth headphones can have problems syncing audio with video.
Beyond that, this is a Roku. Have a look at our Roku 4 review and media streamer guide for a full rundown of why that’s a good thing, but the gist is the same: Roku’s platform takes the least obnoxious approach to displaying your content.
The only big apps Roku doesn’t have are iTunes (which Apple locks to the Apple TV), Starz, Google Play Music, PlayStation Vue, and Kodi. That’s a good record, all told. Every other app you could probably want is here, and they’re all presented in a clean, clear grid that you can adjust as you see fit.
RokuThe search function is also very good — I noticed a few missing results on occasion, but it still takes the most services into account (minus Showtime), lists your returns by price, and again, has no incentive to shove a proprietary service in your face the way Amazon or Apple do. There are movie and TV stores from Fandango Go on the main menu by default, but those can easily be disabled. It’s all user-friendly. Improved voice search from within the Roku app only helps.
If there’s a complaint here, it’s that a big chunk of apps borrow Roku’s design elements, making them feel blander than they might be elsewhere. The major players are mostly fine, and everything still works, but there’s always a decent chance that a given app isn’t totally up-to-date. The lack of Kodi means it isn’t the best with local media either, though Plex support mitigates that to an extent.
Nevertheless, Roku's OS puts the fewest obstacles between you and your shows. Now, it’s available on a device that’s fast and cheap. There’s no pressing need to upgrade if you have a good Roku already, and if you’re an Amazon Prime diehard, the Fire TV Stick (and its Alexa-enabled remote) is still a great buy. If your smart TV doesn't cut it, though, this is where your media streamer search should begin.
Roku Streaming Stick (3600R), $49.99, available at Amazon.