The stick was first introduced in September 2021* and is still going strong! The main addition compared to the previous Stick+ (2019) is the Dolby Vision support, which now makes the device a complete solution for streaming in 4K. Let’s see how it compares with the other sticks in the market.

*Nothing to worry about; streaming devices usually have a long lifespan: for instance, the NVIDIA Shield, still one of the best devices today, was launched in 2019.

First Impressions and Setup

The design is excellent, it feels solid, and the slim profile should fit perfectly behind most TVs, even with a crowded setup like mine. If it doesn’t, Roku support offers a free HDMI extender in exchange for basic information about your purchase: https://my.roku.com/HDMI (Fire TV stick includes it in the box, but their stick is much bulkier).

I was surprised to find another device (see left of the picture below), which turned out to be a Wi-Fi receiver. What the heck is a Wi-Fi receiver? The answer directly from Roku support: “The Wi-Fi receiver is designed to reduce wireless interference, providing a faster and more reliable connection.” but… but… Couldn’t it be in the stick? Is it really better? What if it breaks? Well, it works.

As opposed to every other stick I had tested, the Roku Streaming stick works when plugged into the USB port of my TV (TCL 6-series), which should be the norm to keep the wires out of sight.

As usual, Roku’s setup is surprisingly fast and idiot-proof. It is even easier if you already have an account: sign in with your phone by taking a picture of the QR code or enter your email for a link. In 3 minutes, you’re ready to go, 4 if you decide to watch the quick introduction video. (again, nice touch from Roku)

Performance

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K boasts snappy, responsive performance. It’s equipped to handle 4K HDR content effortlessly, with added support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+. In testing, the device loaded apps quickly and maintained stable streaming in every situation. I had an anecdotal lag in the interface for a couple of seconds right after quitting a 4K video on Prime Video, which never happened to me with the Roku Ultra.

No ethernet, of course, but in my experience, the Wi-Fi is fast and reliable.

The device comes with 4GB of storage and 1GB of RAM.

The Roku Experience

RokuOS is probably the most straightforward of all streaming OS. It’s easy to navigate through the grid, and the OS benefits from a large panel of streaming services, including all major platforms except for Twitch.

It offers the same default theme as any other Roku device; I’m particularly fond of the dynamic ones.

I’m fairly new to Roku and am really impressed by all the efforts put in the user experience, the competition should steal more from them. Some good examples of features are: “quiet loud commercials” which does exactly that, or “instant replay subtitles” (only on Prime Video?) that activates subtitles for few seconds when you rewind using the dedicated button on the remote.

The remote included depends on the model you picked: 4K or 4K+; choose the latter if you want the most advanced one (same bundled with the Roku Ultra). It has USB charging, more shortcuts, a remote finder feature, and hands-free voice controls. Otherwise, the stick is the same.