★ Another Streaming Stick: The Streaming Stick 4K ($50) is also new and a little cheaper, and its remote doesn't have hands-free voice control, if you aren't interested in that. You'll have to charge the remote, which I don't particularly love, but you do save money on replacing batteries. Remote lost in the couch cushions? Just ask Roku where it is to activate a beep. Say “Hey Roku, play Succession on HBO Max” without lifting a finger (yep, Roku now supports HBO Max!).

There's a slider on the side of the remote that, if pushed to the on position, allows you to talk to your remote from anywhere in the room. The Plus version has a new, hands-free remote. Roku's interface is the easiest to navigate, and all the major streaming services are there. We think most people will like the stick-it's one of Roku's cheapest devices, and this updated version is faster and comes with a longer-range wireless receiver it also plugs right into your TV's HDMI port, so you won't see it dangling. The Streaming Stick Plus has held our top spot for years, and the newer 4K Plus is a fresh favorite.

Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. This includes unlimited access to and our print magazine (if you'd like). Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). We've also replaced Roku's no-longer-available Smart Soundbar with the Streambar and Streambar Pro, and the Ultra with the latest model. Updated December 2021: We've added Roku's newest Streaming Stick 4K Plus, as well as the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max for Amazon fans. We've tried them all-you can get options from Roku, Apple, Google, Amazon, and even a cheap Walmart-owned brand-so you don't have to go through a bunch to figure out what works for you, and separated each of our favorites by what they do best.īe sure to check out all our guides, especially for picking the best Roku, as well as the best TVs, best soundbars, and best smart speakers we've seen. Smart TVs rarely have good interfaces, so owning a separate device will make things a whole lot easier (more on that at the end of this guide). Most of us stream a majority of our content, if we haven't abandoned cable altogether.

Best 4k media player for home tvs