Pros & Cons
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- Simple, accessible interface
- Doesn't require a wall outlet
- Supports Apple AirPlay
- Affordable
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- Lacks Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support
- No Twitch app
Roku Streaming Stick Plus Specs
| Built-In Voice Assistant | Search |
| HDR | HDR10 |
| Platform | Roku OS |
| Resolution | 4K |
Roku has refreshed its compact, budget-priced 4K media streamer selection with the $39.99 Streaming Stick Plus. Rather than replace the long-standing Streaming Stick 4K ($49.99), the Plus serves as a slightly cheaper option that offers most of the same features. As a trade-off for its lower price, it lacks Dolby Vision and long-range MIMO Wi-Fi support, but as a bonus, the more power-efficient Plus can reliably run from your TV’s USB port without also being plugged into a wall adapter. It’s a capable device that offers a simple and accessible way to stream media. Amazon’s $49.99 Fire TV Stick 4K goes far beyond it in features, though, with Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and Wi-Fi 6, and so it remains our Editors’ Choice winner for 4K media streamers. If you want to stick with Roku's system, though, check out our comparison of all of the company's current streaming devices.
Design: A Familiar Stick
The Streaming Stick Plus is physically identical to its 1080p sibling, a slim black plastic bar measuring 3.4 by 0.8 by 0.4 inches (LWD) with an HDMI plug sticking out of one end. A USB-C port sits on the side of the stick, and at the end, there's an indentation with a status LED. Besides the fine product text on the back, the only indication that the Streaming Stick Plus is different from the Streaming Stick is the Roku logo next to the status LED, which is glossy black instead of purple. Since it’s so thin, the stick should be able to fit into any HDMI port on your TV, though it doesn’t come with a short HDMI extender dongle you can use if your ports are very crowded, a useful addition Amazon includes with its Fire TV Sticks.
(Credit: Will Greenwald)The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is a 4K media streamer that supports high dynamic range (HDR) content in HDR10 and HDR10+, but not Dolby Vision; you need to spend another $10 for the Streaming Stick 4K for that feature. It also doesn’t support spatial audio, though no Roku Streaming Stick does—you’ll have to shell out significantly more for the Roku Ultra ($99.99) or switch to Amazon's media streaming platform with the Fire TV Stick 4K if you want Dolby Atmos. The Streaming Stick Plus has the same Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) connectivity as the Streaming Stick 4K.
The standard Roku Voice Remote included with both Streaming Sticks looks almost completely unchanged from the remote included with the Roku 3 in 2013. It has the same pill-shaped profile and black plastic body with Roku’s signature big, purple, plus-shaped direction pad near the top and a matching fabric tag on the bottom end. Home, Back, and Power buttons sit above the pad, while playback buttons and dedicated service buttons for Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, and Netflix reside below. Roku’s advancements in remote technology over the last 15 years are visually subtle, and include a volume rocker and mute button on the right edge and a pinhole microphone near the top for voice control.
(Credit: Will Greenwald)Power: No Need for an Outlet
The Streaming Stick Plus consumes approximately 2.6W of power compared with 3.5W for the Streaming Stick 4K. That doesn’t add up to much in terms of your energy bill, but it makes a big difference when it comes to how the stick is powered. Lower power consumption means the Streaming Stick Plus can reliably work by drawing power from your TV’s USB port. This means you don’t need to take up a power outlet to use it (and why it doesn’t come with a power adapter like the Streaming Stick 4K does). In testing, the Streaming Stick Plus worked without a hitch when plugged into my TV’s 5V/1.5A USB 3.0 port and its USB 2.0 port.
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This doesn’t mean the Streaming Stick 4K won’t work via power from your TV’s USB port, and Roku’s specs for it state that it accepts the same 5V/1A input that the Streaming Stick Plus does. However, I’ve found that streaming sticks and dongles like these aren’t always the most reliable when getting power from a TV’s USB port, and have seen power hiccups on similar devices. The Streaming Stick Plus squeaking in under 3W helps reduce that risk. Make sure your TV’s power settings keep its USB ports active when the screen is off, though; if not, you’ll be waiting several seconds for the stick to boot up every time you turn on the TV.
Software: Simple and Intuitive
(Credit: Roku)I recommend Roku devices to older and less media-savvy users because Roku OS is consistently one of the simplest and most accessible streaming media platforms out there. The home screen is built around big, friendly tiles leading to individual streaming services, and won’t overwhelm you with rows and rows of recommendations like Amazon Fire TV or Google TV. Banner ads still show up, but they usually aren’t as omnipresent and screen-filling as they are on other platforms. It’s just easy to use if you simply want to open a service and watch something on it.
Most major streaming services are available on Roku, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Crunchyroll, Disney+, Netflix, and YouTube. If you want to watch Twitch, though, you should look elsewhere because an official app is absent from the platform. The unofficial Twitch apps you’ll find range from unreliable to useless. Of course, you can stream Twitch or any other media not available directly on Roku locally from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac via AirPlay.
Performance: Reliable, But No Spatial Audio
(Credit: Roku)Roku’s simple and almost completely media-focused platform means you don’t get a full-featured voice assistant like Alexa on Fire TV or Google Assistant on Google TV. You can search for content with your voice using the microphone on the remote and Roku Voice Search, and even control some smart home devices if you stick to Roku’s small first-party ecosystem of lights, plugs, and cameras, but that’s about it.
The Streaming Stick Plus performed very well in testing and was quick to navigate menus, open apps, and stream media. Voice search was also brisk and accurate. The lack of Dolby Vision isn’t too much of a disadvantage since almost all streaming services that use Dolby Vision have HDR10 and sometimes even HDR10+. The lack of Dolby Atmos is a bigger hit to the experience since it means I couldn’t listen to spatial audio through my soundbar when watching movies. If you have any sort of sound system with more than 3.1 channels, a Dolby Atmos-equipped device like the Fire TV Stick 4K or the Roku Ultra will be a better choice.