Roku Streaming Stick 4K Review: Still the Best 4K Streamer

9 / 10

Score

Cnet Score

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Roku Streaming Stick 4K

$50 at Best Buy

Score Breakdown

Features 9/10Value 8/10Design 9/10Ecosystem 10/10Performance 9/10

Pros

• Robust app and Dolby Vision support
• Simple interface
• Good search for TV and movies

Cons

• Costs $10 more than the nearly identical Streaming Stick Plus
• No support for gaming services
• Voice assistant remains limited

Compared to the myriad streaming services they deliver, Roku's streaming TV devices seem stuck in time. For four years, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K has been an affordable, easy way to get Netflix, Amazon Video, Disney Plus, HBO Max and the rest onto a TV in 4K. 

The most notable difference between this and the newer Roku Streaming Stick Plus is that this older model has support for the Dolby Vision HDR format and a dedicated Wi-Fi antenna. While some users may opt for pocketing the $10 and forgoing Vision support, we believe it's worth the extra money for the added compatibility. In our testing, a subtle difference exists between HDR 10 and Dolby Vision playback. 

Also read: Best streaming devices

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is still an excellent streamer, and given its excellent features for the money and bulletproof Roku system, we've again awarded this product our Editors' Choice.

Update Dec. 26, 2025: The Roku Streaming Stick 4K review was first published in October 2021 and has been updated with new information as well as a renewed Editors' Choice award.

Similar design, similar features

The Streaming Stick 4K was able to load apps quickly, and while it didn't always feel as snappy as Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max, we were never left hanging for more than a few seconds. 

The dongle sports a matte finish and a long power/Wi-Fi cable. Of course, the Stick is designed to tuck behind a TV, so few people will notice those design elements. Unlike the Fire TV Max, the new Roku doesn't support Wi-Fi 6, but we don't think that's a big deal right now.

We do wish Roku had moved the Micro-USB slot for power from the side of the device to the center. Depending on your setup, you may have trouble squeezing the device into the HDMI port on your TV or other AV devices. We had some issues plugging it into a Sony soundbar, for example. Roku does offer a free HDMI extender on its website, which should help, although unlike Fire TV, it doesn't include one in the box. 

Roku does include a power adapter, but we also had no issues powering the device from the USB port on a 2019 TCL 6-Series TV or from an RCA TV. 

TV shows and movies available in 4K and/or Dolby Vision played back with no issues on my TCL. Since that TV lacks HDR10 Plus support, I was unable to test that feature. As we've written in the past, it's nice that Roku supports all of these formats, but we don't consider Dolby Vision or HDR10 Plus a must-have, in part because it's not a major image quality upgrade over standard HDR.

Familiar, friendly menus with minor OS updates

Roku's interface remains the simplest among the major streamers, with apps displaying in a simple grid and no individual TV shows or movies appearing until you click through to the actual app. The overall feel is less cluttered than the thumbnail-heavy menus of Fire TV and Google TV, though we do miss the ability to continue watching a show directly from the home page.

Roku's voice assistant lets you perform a number of tasks, including searching for content which can bring up podcast and music results from Spotify. We also appreciate the ability to dictate passwords, which is great for the times when you can't log into a streaming service from the web.

As with rival streamers and software from Amazon, Apple and Google, the Roku software includes all the major apps and streaming services you'd expect. This includes Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Apple TV, Sling TV and more. Game streaming services, like Google Stadia and Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming remain MIA, however. 

Basic voice remote included

As with other 4K Rokus, the company includes its voice remote in the box. The remote has a microphone for using the company's voice assistant and buttons for controlling your TV's power and volume. 

One of the best uses for voice is to search, and Roku's search results for an actor, film or TV show remain largely excellent and better than Fire TV. I particularly appreciated Roku's Zones that can pull content from a host of different services under themes as broad as Western and as narrow as Lord of the Rings.

Over the years, we've found that Roku's voice feature is getting better, and asking "what time is the NFL game," for example, brought up a series of results for games on Peacock and the NFL App. If you want a more fully featured experience, though, then the latest Alexa Plus or Google Gemini assistants have the power of AI behind them.

Music fans and audio aficionados should note that the Streaming Stick 4K still lacks Dolby Atmos support, a feature found on its rivals as well as the Roku Ultra.

Pro remote bundle available

The included voice remote is perfectly workable, but it is different from the $30 Roku Voice Remote Pro (2nd Ed), which boasts a rechargeable battery and a backlight. The Pro also has a speaker and midfield microphone so you can make hands-free commands, like opening an app, playing a particular show or movie or -- my personal favorite -- finding a misplaced controller by barking "Hey Roku, find my remote," which triggers a beeping notification. While Roku once bundled the Pro remote with the Stick 4K, it's currently only available with the Roku Ultra or select TVs.

So many Rokus

Looking at the company's website, Roku's lineup of streaming players currently consists of the Streaming Stick, Streaming Stick Plus, Streaming Stick 4K, Ultra, and Streambar SE. If you feel overwhelmed, I'm right there with you. 

The fact that the Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick 4K are both priced under $50 only makes matters worse. While the Streaming Stick 4K is an excellent device, the Streaming Stick Plus has nearly all the same features as the Streaming Stick 4K, with the biggest exception being Dolby Vision -- which for most won't provide much value. Both versions are frequently on sale so get whichever is cheapest.

9 / 10

Score

Cnet Score

CNET provides expert, unbiased reviews of products and services. When we assign a score, we use a scale of 1-10. Each product we score is evaluated by criteria specific to its category with most assessing pricing, quality, features and performance.

Read more on: How we test

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

$50 at Best Buy

Score Breakdown

Features 9/10Value 8/10Design 9/10Ecosystem 10/10Performance 9/10

Pros

• Robust app and Dolby Vision support
• Simple interface
• Good search for TV and movies

Cons

• Costs $10 more than the nearly identical Streaming Stick Plus
• No support for gaming services
• Voice assistant remains limited