There aren’t many devices that have a through line going back nearly a decade. But the Roku Ultra is one of them. And eight years after its debut (its lineage really goes back much farther than that, though), we have a new Roku Ultra for 2024, some three years after its last update.
On paper, this appears to be a fairly typical Roku rollout, with the workhorse streaming device seeing iterative updates across the board. Faster processor. Faster app launches. Better wireless networking. Improved remote control. And improved compatibility with Roku’s own budding smart home accessories lineup.
And, of course, there are all the superlatives you’ve come to expect from any company’s launch. Best. Fastest. Unmatched. Says Roku itself in its blog post announcing the new streamer: “We’ve developed a device that has it all. Our new 2024 Roku Ultra is our most powerful player to date, a culmination of years of listening to our customer feedback and leveraging our streaming expertise.”
There’s no denying that — it’s basically what Roku has done with every device every couple years. Slow and steady improvements to capitalize on a consumer base that just wants something that works, and doesn’t want to pay a whole lot for it. And on that front, the new Roku Ultra has a retail price of $99, which puts it right in line with the new Google TV Streamer, and a good bit below the Apple TV 4K, which we still consider to be the best streaming device you can buy.
Roku says the new device has a quad-core processor that is “purpose-built for cinematic streaming,” though, presumably, you can also stream things that are not cinematic. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ (no word yet on other standards like HLG), as well as Dolby Atmos for audio. And Roku says it’s “30% faster than other Roku players,” but that’s probably a bad comparison given that it’s supposed to be better than every other Roku player. But it does say that “content loads quicker, navigation is more fluid, and streaming feels snappier.”
And, of course, we couldn’t get through this without a nod to AI or machine learning — Roku says this new device will learn what app it thinks you’re going to open next and get it ready to go in the background.
Arguably as important is the updated networking stack. The new Roku Ultra supports Wi-Fi 6, or 802.11ax. How much of a difference that makes will depend on your home network and ISP, of course, but it’s good to see the hardware keeping relatively close to the bleeding edge.
And this new Roku Ultra comes with the second-edition Roku Voice Remote Pro — the one with USB-C recharging and one-button lost remote finder capability, along with backlit buttons.
The new Roku Ultra is available now from Roku and will hit other retailers in the coming weeks.
