Roku has announced the introduction of an all-new 4K streaming stick that costs £49.99 - or about $69 if you prefer. Along with the new portable streaming device, the company has also announced Roku OS 10.5, the latest update on its operating system bringing new features and improvements across a wide range of devices.
Mark Ely, Vice President, Retail Product Strategy at Roku, stated:
The new stick can boot up 30% faster compared to its predecessor, supports the Dolby Vision standard, delivers 4K in HDR10+, and features a completely redesigned WiFi receiver that ensures stable reception even from afar. According to Roku, it’s also two times faster, so navigation and content loading should feel a lot snappier now. Finally, its remote supports voice commands, so Roku Voice is here.
With Roku OS 10.5, there is expanded support for Roku Voice on more channels, most notably Netflix and Spotify. The mobile app has been refreshed with a “Save List” and a new interface, while the platform also added a powerful search system for music tracks and podcasts in its huge collection.
Roku 10.5 brings some “quality of life” improvements as well, like advancements to the audio/video syncing system, direct sound control from the mobile app, and better experience with on-screen keyboards that will now support vocal entries too.
Note that Roku OS 10.5 will be rolled out in the coming weeks, so if you don’t receive an alert immediately, don’t try to source it from obscure places and sideload it on your device. If you don’t receive it at all, that means you’re using an older Roku device that is no longer supported. In that case, the new 4K streaming stick would be an excellent way to get back on the Roku train.