So, fed up with streaming madness? Roku has a 2025 portfolio that is (slightly) less baffling! No more confusion between “Plus” let’s stick to sticks and a single aggressive box!
In the middle of the hill? This is Roku Ultra ($100), which has every feature available. Want to go 4K without hurting the budget? Streaming Stick 4K is $50 in 2021. Being cheap streamers, Streaming Stick is priced at $30, $10 cheaper than Streaming Stick Plus, which comes with a little extra juice.
Having wrestled with a Streaming Stick Plus, I can confirm that this is a pocket-sized powerhouse with a Roku interface so easy to be beloved. Is this your streamer? Dive in and decide!
Roku/Engadget
Roku Streaming Stick
Fed up with struggling against hotel TV’s inconsistent port schemes? Or are you already plagued at home by “hole-in-the-wall” syndrome? The new Roku Streaming Stick Plus frees you from the depressing confines of the power strip and allows streaming wherever there might be a USB port.
Pros
- Uses your TV’s USB port for power instead of a wall adapter
- Decent speed for a $40 device
Cons
- No extended Wi-Fi range
- Not as fast as most smart TVs or pricier streaming devices
$40 at Amazon
The Roku Streaming Stick Plus vs the Roku Streaming Stick 4K
The Streaming Stick Plus, thus, hails its fiercest competition from an unexpected adversary: its very own kin! While the Streaming Stick 4K proudly exhibits its 4K status (with Dolby Vision to boot!), the fairly modest Streaming Stick Plus simply goes ahead to do the same with image quality. But, and here’s the kicker: the “4K” model actually features better Wi-Fi, courtesy of a nifty extender trick that comes built into its USB power cable-a small upgrade that makes for nice smooth streaming and no buffer time even if a distant router tries to compete for attention. Both sticks connect through Wi-Fi 5, with 4K just speaking a little louder.
Such a long four years span a Roku Streaming Stick 4K from the Streaming Stick Plus, and the new model carries some heavy upgrades-with the Wi-Fi extender and power adapter being shed, the 4K is tremendously smaller. Roku claims it to be nearly 35 percent smaller than those of the competition, but let’s face it- these are sticks that vanish behind your TV. One can surely make out the difference when put side-by-side with an Amazon Fire TV Stick, but does it really concern a binge-watching experience? Probably not since it’s all very discreet.
Side by side: The Streaming Stick 4K for Roku, the king of clarity, arrives alongside a power cable, a Wi-Fi range-boosting sidekick, and the essential HDMI dongle. Across the ring, the still-betting Streaming Stick+ comes prepared with a cable and dongle for a good fight.
(Amy Skorheim for Engadget)
Now the real magic trick: cutting loose from the wall. The new Roku stick uses such little power you can completely do away with the power adapter: charge it directly from the TV’s USB port. No more wrestling for an outlet, the Plus is a dream for any nomadic streamer. Rokupromotesthis even, shipping the device without an adaptor. In the past, there were rudimentary USB-power flirtations with older version, but this 4K beauty is the first Roku to ever officially be freed. Trust me; after wrestling with the hotel room TV seemingly miles from an outlet during my last trip, I am calling this a game-changer.
The thought of a TV bowing down to the voice of a user was something to canvas the whole world. Here are the two Roku Sticks, Apple AirPlay-first, awaiting a command from Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant. The remote double handful of the voice command with which one can give power and volume commands. But that’s far from the magic; the purple interface they have is just an intuitive playground of liveliness and free entertainment – a treasure that I had shared previously in our streaming devices guide. Jump in; they’re about to win your soul.
Performance
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
For a mere $40, the Streaming Stick Plus truly punches above its weight. I put them up against each other and the two were in razor-close competition. The charging screen for Disney+ on the Roku showed for a blink, while the Streaming Stick Plus was almost lightning-fast but an instant fraction of a second away. We are speaking seconds of a fraction here. The bottom line is that the Streaming Stick Plus really gives you a smooth and frustration-free experience for its friends’ low price.
Be honest, expecting a streaming stick to hold a candle to a modern smart TV is like pitting a Chihuahua against a Great Dane. My almost new TV bears a picture quality crisper than anything I have ever hooked up from any of these dongles. Show me the difference, it’s a contrast of black and white. Just firing Netflix up on the TV with the native app presents a razzle-dazzle razor-sharp menu. Don’t exist for a second that same Netflix paradise on the Roku stick and those crisp lines get dissolved into a really dark pixelated slop. The contrast is not subtle; it’s a slap in the face.
Now, real tests come in moving-image treatments. During a “The Residence” screening, the difference was almost imperceptible. Perhaps the most eagle-eyed of videophiles might detect a bruise-or-grain, shall we say, inside the dark halls of the White House as opposed to the opposite rating, through Roku. But any layperson is going to be so bored watching Detective Cupp whittle down a roomful of suspects that the difference will never register.
Should you get the Roku Streaming Stick Plus?
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Gone are the days fighting through sluggish smart TV interfaces! For those with old or budget-screen TVs, Roku Streaming Stick Plus is a pocket-sized streaming nirvana. Yes, something smaller than your crumpled lipstick tube can very muchupgradeyour viewing experience.
The tempting choice next to Kodi would be the Fire TV Stick 4K (or maybe pricier when it is not on sale). But Roku steals the show with its delightfully intuitive interface.
My all-time ultimate travel companion. Try picturing this: I arrive at an Airbnb to an instance of the digital Stone Age of TVs. Rather than go through the hassle of unfamiliar apps and trilly-o-mad sign-ins upon a couple of clicks, I plug in my Roku. Then in a blink, I’m back in TARDIS with the Doctor, binge-watching away. No more hunting for impossible-to-find outlets, no more struggling with that absurdly long Disney+ password. Just streaming bliss.
Say goodbye to tangled wires! What makes a Streaming Stick Plus a better choice for you than its 4K counterpart? Ten dollars cheaper equates to a cleaner setup. The Streaming Stick Plus will draw power right from your TV, so the view isn’t cluttered with cables. Assuming your TV doesn’t have Dolby Vision or your Wi-Fi signal strength is strong enough to easily reach the entertainment center, Streaming Stick Plus is the modern streaming solution, without the hefty price. It is the sexy-yet-affordable upgrade your TV deserves.
Thanks for reading Roku Streaming Stick Plus review: Powered by the TV and perfect for travel
