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Roku Family Explained: Streaming Stick, Stick Plus and Ultra
Three players, one interface, and the Dolby Vision question that separates them.
Roku is the platform people recommend to parents and grandparents, and for good reason. The home screen is a grid of apps, the remote has few buttons, and Roku doesn't push one company's movie store over another. Underneath that sameness, the hardware differs in ways that matter: resolution, HDR format support, Wi-Fi and the remote you get in the box.
This guide covers the lineup as of November 2026. Roku refreshed its sticks in 2025 and its Ultra box in 2024. We work from Roku's published specs and haven't tested the devices for this article. Roku tends to announce hardware in the fall and sometimes changes model names, so check the model number (printed on the box and in Settings > System > About) when comparing.
The current lineup at a glance
| Model | Resolution | HDR formats | Wi-Fi | Ethernet | Remote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roku Streaming Stick (2025) | 1080p | None | Wi-Fi 5 | No | Voice Remote |
| Roku Streaming Stick Plus (2025) | 4K | HDR10+, HDR10, HLG | Wi-Fi 5 | No | Voice Remote |
| Roku Ultra (2024) | 4K | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG | Wi-Fi 6 | Yes | Voice Remote Pro (rechargeable, backlit) |
The older Roku Streaming Stick 4K, which supported Dolby Vision, still appears at some retailers and in many homes. Roku also sells the Express line and soundbars with streaming built in, but the three models above cover most buying decisions.
Roku Streaming Stick (HD)
The base stick is for 1080p TVs. It is small enough to plug straight into an HDMI port and draws power from the TV's USB port, so there's no extra power brick. On an HD TV it does everything you need. On a 4K TV it caps you at 1080p and no HDR, so don't buy it for a newer screen just because it's cheaper.
Roku Streaming Stick Plus
This is the 4K stick most people will buy. It handles 4K HDR with HDR10+ and HDR10, plus HLG for broadcast-style HDR. It also runs on TV USB power. What it skips is Dolby Vision. If your TV is a Samsung, which doesn't support Dolby Vision, that costs you nothing. If you have an LG, Sony, TCL, Hisense or Vizio TV that supports Dolby Vision, titles mastered in Dolby Vision will play in HDR10 instead. They'll still look good, just without the scene-by-scene adjustments Dolby Vision adds.
Wi-Fi 5 is fine for 4K streaming when the router is in the same or the next room. If the stick has to reach through several walls, consider the Ultra or a stick with stronger Wi-Fi.
Roku Ultra
The Ultra is Roku's box for people who want everything. It adds Dolby Vision on top of HDR10+, so it suits any 4K TV. It has Wi-Fi 6, an Ethernet port for a wired connection, and a USB port that can play media from a flash drive through the Roku Media Player app. The Voice Remote Pro in the box is rechargeable, backlit, supports hands-free voice commands and has a lost-remote finder: ask the Ultra to find the remote, or press the button on the box, and the remote plays a sound.
The Ultra lists at about $100 and sells for less during frequent sales. At sale prices it's the Roku most people with a Dolby Vision TV should consider.
Apps, AirPlay and smart home
Roku's channel store has every major streaming service and many free, ad-supported ones. The Roku Channel, Roku's own free service, carries movies, shows and live channels. Many Roku 4K players support Apple AirPlay and the Apple Home app, which is handy for iPhone owners who don't want to pay for an Apple TV. Roku also works with Alexa and Google Assistant for basic voice control from a smart speaker. Check Roku's support pages for the current list of AirPlay-compatible models before relying on it.
Roku's mobile app doubles as a remote and offers private listening: you plug headphones into your phone and hear the TV audio from there. Newer sticks also support Bluetooth headphones directly after a recent software update.
Where Roku falls short
Roku isn't the platform for tinkerers. There's no sideloading for regular users, Kodi doesn't run on it, and game support is close to nonexistent. Plex works well for streaming your own files from a server, but unusual codecs and lossless audio formats are better handled by Android-based boxes such as the Nvidia Shield.
Roku also makes much of its money from advertising. The home screen has a sponsored banner, the screensaver can show ads, and the Roku Channel is ad-supported. The ads are less intrusive than Fire TV's autoplaying banners, but they are there. You can limit ad tracking under Settings > Privacy > Advertising, and you can turn off the TV's viewing data collection on Roku TVs.
Which Roku fits whom
Pick the Roku Streaming Stick for a 1080p TV in a bedroom or kitchen.
Pick the Roku Streaming Stick Plus for a 4K TV without Dolby Vision, especially a Samsung, or when price matters more than formats.
Pick the Roku Ultra for a Dolby Vision TV, a living room where Wi-Fi is weak, or anyone who keeps losing the remote.
If you want hands-free Alexa or deep Google integration, Roku is the wrong platform; see the Fire TV and Google TV guides instead.
Questions
Does the Roku Streaming Stick Plus support Dolby Vision?
No. The 2025 Streaming Stick Plus supports 4K with HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG, but not Dolby Vision. Among current Roku players, the Roku Ultra supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The older Roku Streaming Stick 4K also supported Dolby Vision.
Do I need a Roku account to use a Roku player?
Yes. Setup asks you to create or sign in to a free Roku account. Roku's setup flow may suggest adding a payment method, but it isn't required to activate a player.
Is a Roku TV the same as a Roku player?
The software is the same. A Roku TV has the Roku platform built in by the TV maker, so you don't need a separate player unless the TV gets slow or stops receiving updates.
Sources: Roku: compare streaming players. Specs as published by the manufacturers in November 2026.