Roku Unveils New UK Streaming Sticks: First Impressions

Roku is shaking up its UK (and US) lineup with two brand-new streaming sticks that will completely replace its Express range starting in June.

The Roku Streaming Stick (£29.99) and Roku Streaming Stick Plus (£39.99) promise cleaner design and better features, with the entry-level model finally getting voice control without a price hike.

But here’s the real question: are these genuinely better streaming devices, or just the same old Roku experience in a tidier package? After digging through the specs and company announcements, here’s everything you need to know about them at this point.

A Smaller Design

Roku’s quite chuffed about how these sticks are “35% smaller than other brands,” as if that’s what keeps people up at night. That said, the design does solve some annoyances with the old Express boxes, which were not even sticks, but… small boxes.

The new stick format means you can plug directly into your telly’s HDMI port without needing a surface to sit on, and they won’t block adjacent ports – handy if you’re constantly swapping between streaming and gaming.

Most usefully, both sticks can finally be powered directly from your TV’s USB port, potentially eliminating that annoying extra cable dangling down your wall-mounted setup.

This is actually a bigger deal than it sounds – for years, Roku has been actively discouraging users from powering their sticks via the TV’s USB port, insisting we use wall sockets instead because their devices were too power-hungry for most TV USB ports.

Now, Roku claims these new sticks are efficient enough to run directly from your TV, which means one less cable to manage and a much cleaner installation, especially for wall-mounted setups. Furthermore, this could prove useful when travelling internationally, as you might not need an extra power adapter.

According to Roku, 90% of streamers want a clean setup with devices hidden behind the TV, which explains the focus on this stick design.

They’ve also opted for a USB-C port this time around, for power, moving away from the micro-USB port on older models, and have included a USB-C to USB-A cable in the box.

Is size really worth shouting about as a main feature? Probably not, unless you’ve got particularly small pockets and a burning desire to carry your streaming stick everywhere you go.

But Roku does point out that 74% of viewers apparently want to watch their shows while on holiday without logging into someone else’s device – so perhaps ultra-portability is more important than I’m giving credit for.

Voice Remote: Finally Standard on All Models

Both new models include Roku’s voice remote with TV power and volume controls – a genuine upgrade for the entry-level model, which previously shipped with a basic remote.

Being able to control everything from one remote without paying extra is a welcome change.

The voice functionality lets you search for content, launch apps, and control playback with simple commands. Both remotes come with pre-installed AAA batteries, so you’re good to go straight out of the box.

Don’t get too excited though – this isn’t the fancy Voice Remote Pro that’s been available in the US for ages (but never officially in the UK).

We’re still stuck with battery-powered remotes that lack a headphone jack for private listening. Cheers for that, Roku.

What’s Actually Different Between the Two?

While we don’t have the full hardware specs for the new Roku sticks, here’s what we do know at this point:

Roku Streaming Stick (£29.99)

• HD streaming up to 1080p
• Basic dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n)
• Voice remote with TV controls
• Digital stereo and DTS Digital Surround pass-through over HDMI
• Built-in HDMI connector and USB-C for power
• Weighs just 26g
• Compatible with Apple AirPlay, HomeKit, Google Home and Alexa

Roku Streaming Stick Plus (£39.99)

• 4K streaming up to 2160p/60fps
• Better Wi-Fi standard (802.11ac)
• HDR10/10+ and HLG support (no Dolby Vision)
• Same voice remote with TV controls
• Same audio features (DTS pass-through and Dolby-encoded audio pass-through)
• Same 26g weight and compact design
• Same smart home compatibility

The extra tenner gets you 4K resolution, HDR support and slightly better Wi-Fi. If you’ve got a 4K telly, the Plus is the obvious choice – if not, save your money and get the standard version.

Both models feature Roku’s familiar interface with access to thousands of streaming channels and features like Continue Watching and Save List to bookmark shows for later.

They’re also both compatible with the major smart home ecosystems, so you can bark commands at your Google or Alexa device to control your Roku if you’re feeling particularly lazy (though I’m not sure how that’s helpful, since these platforms aren’t compatible with Roku’s built-in voice search).

Roku’s Naming Mess Gets Worse

Trying to keep track of Roku’s product lineup is becoming a proper headache (though Amazon isn’t much better in that regard with is ever-changing Fire TV line).

In the UK, we’ll now have:

• Roku Streaming Stick – HD only, entry-level (Replacing the Roku Express)
• Roku Streaming Stick Plus – 4K HDR, mid-range (Replacing the Roku Express 4K)
• Roku Streaming Stick 4K – 4K with Dolby Vision, premium

So both the “Plus” and the “4K” models support 4K, but only the one actually named “4K” has Dolby Vision support and a long-range Wi-Fi receiver. 

Oh, and to add to the confusion, Roku used to have a model called “Roku Streaming Stick+” in the UK, which you can even still buy from some unofficial sellers on Amazon and eBay – so be careful, as that’s NOT the new stick, which will have a totally different name – “Roku Streaming Stick Plus“.

How Do They Compare to the Old Express Range?

The new sticks replace the Roku Express (HD) and Roku Express 4K models, with the main differences being:

• Stick form factor instead of a little box
• Voice remote now included with the entry model 
• Potentially cleaner setup with TV USB power
• No need for a flat surface or wall-mounting (for the old Express)

What we don’t know yet is whether the actual streaming performance is any better.

Roku’s been tight-lipped about processor specs and RAM (for now), so it’s hard to tell if these will feel snappier than their predecessors or just look neater behind your telly.

Roku Falling Behind in the UK?

Let’s be honest – Roku’s devices have been getting a bit stale in the UK. We recently bumped them down to second place in our Best Streaming Stick roundup, with Amazon’s Fire TV 4K Max taking the top spot.

These new sticks feel like modest updates rather than anything revolutionary. Meanwhile, UK Roku fans are still waiting for premium products that Americans have enjoyed for years – the Roku Ultra has never officially launched here, nor has the Voice Remote Pro with its rechargeable battery.

On the other hand, Roku’s been pushing hard with the TV set market in the UK, launching several low-cost Roku TV models recent years, from manufacturers such as Metz, JVC, Sharp and others.

And software? Roku announced some updates alongside these sticks, but (surprise!) they’re US-only for now. We’ve asked Roku when UK users might get these features, so I’ll update when we have new information.

The new Roku Streaming Stick and Roku Streaming Stick Plus will hit UK retailers in June, direct from Roku and “major retailers”.

I’ll be putting them through their paces as soon as I can get my hands on them.

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