TechHive Editors Choice<\/title><\/linearGradient><\/linearGradient><\/linearGradient><\/linearGradient><\/defs><\/mask><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/mask><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg> \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
At a glance<\/h4>\n
Expert’s Rating<\/h3>\n
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Pros<\/h3>\n
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Roku\u2019s least expensive 4K HDR player<\/li>\n
Compact design fits behind a TV and is suitable for travel<\/li>\n
Better performance and Wi-Fi reception than the cheaper Roku Streaming Stick<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
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Cons<\/h3>\n
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Increasingly cluttered home screen<\/li>\n
Some old TVs might require a separate power adapter<\/li>\n
No Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
Our Verdict <\/h3>\n
The middle dongle in Roku\u2019s latest streamer lineup is just right.<\/p>\n
Price When Reviewed<\/p>\n
This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined<\/p>\n
Best Pricing Today<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Price When Reviewed<\/h3>\n
$39.99<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tBest Prices Today: Roku Streaming Stick Plus\t\t<\/h3>\n
At a list price of $40\u2014and often on sale for less\u2014the Roku Streaming Stick Plus hits a sweet spot.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not the cheapest streaming dongle Roku sells, but it\u2019s the least expensive option with 4K HDR video, and it sports slightly better performance than the $30 Roku Streaming Stick. Its portable design is also an improvement over the Roku Express 4K+, which Roku previously sold at the same price.<\/p>\n
I still have some misgivings about Roku\u2019s software, which is gradually getting more complicated and bloated. But if you enjoy the Roku experience as it is, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus is a solid option.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s included with the Roku Streaming Stick Plus<\/h2>\n
The Roku Streaming Stick Plus has the same finger-sized design as the cheaper Roku Streaming Stick I reviewed in July, distinguished only by its embossed black \u201cRoku\u201d logo instead of a painted-on purple one. Its built-in HDMI connector plugs directly into one of your TV\u2019s HDMI ports, and if it doesn\u2019t fit within the spacing of those ports, you can request a free extender cable.<\/p>\n
Unlike earlier Roku models, the Streaming Stick Plus does not include a power adapter. Instead, you get a five-foot USB-A-to USB-C cable to plug into the USB power port on most modern TVs. The dongle had no trouble drawing enough power this way from the TVs I tested it with, but you might need to go hunting for an outlet adapter for old TVs that don\u2019t provide USB power.<\/p>\n
For video, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus streams at up to 4K resolution with support for HDR and HDR10+, but not Dolby Vision. You need to step up to the $50 Roku Streaming Stick 4K for that. On the audio side, Dolby Atmos is also missing, as that feature is only available on the $100 Roku Ultra.<\/p>\n
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Jared Newman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Roku now ships the same basic Voice Remote with all of its lower-end players. Like every other Roku current model, it includes buttons to control your TV\u2019s volume and power, providing a single-remote solution unless<\/em> you have an external sound system that doesn\u2019t support HDMI-CEC. If that\u2019s the case, you\u2019ll need a separate remote for volume adjustments. (Because the Streaming Stick Plus doesn\u2019t accept IR input, it won\u2019t work with basic universal remotes.)<\/p>\n
One thing missing from this model is Bluetooth support. You can still connect earbuds to your phone and use Roku\u2019s mobile app for private listening, but the Roku Ultra remains the only player that supports pairing headphones or earbuds directly to the streaming device.<\/p>\n
Roku Streaming Stick Plus performance and Wi-Fi reception<\/h2>\n
Roku does an admirable job optimizing its software to run on lightweight hardware, so there isn\u2019t a huge performance difference between each of its players. Still, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus does have some noticeable improvements over the cheaper Streaming Stick.<\/p>\n
In my side-by-side testing, the Streaming Stick Plus typically loaded apps a few seconds faster, and was quicker at filling program guide details as I scrolled through the Pluto TV app. Netflix in particular seemed to benefit, as the Streaming Stick Plus would often would return to where I was in Netflix\u2019s menu system after switching to a different app. (With the cheaper Streaming Stick, Netflix usually needed a full reload.)<\/p>\n
The Roku Streaming Stick Plus also supports Wi-Fi 5, rather than Wi-Fi 4 as on the Streaming Stick, and I observed better Wi-Fi performance at long range as a result. Testing from the far end of my back yard on a portable monitor, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus maintained speeds around 20Mbps, while the Streaming Stick averaged less than 10Mbps and displayed a weak signal warning. Meanwhile, the $50 Roku Streaming Stick 4K achieved speeds of around 100Mbps in the same test.<\/p>\n
The improved Wi-Fi won\u2019t matter in areas with solid reception\u2014both models maintained 100Mbps connections in the office where my router is located\u2014but it could make a difference on the fringes.<\/p>\n
If you want to use wired ethernet, Roku says the Streaming Stick Plus is compatible with USB-C-to-ethernet adapters that supply power, but I was unable to get it connected with several multiport USB-C hubs. The Roku Ultra is a better bet if ethernet is a must.<\/p>\n
Roku software: Familiar layout, new distractions<\/h2>\n
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Jared Newman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
While Roku has traditionally prided itself on simplicity, in recent years that mission has been at odds with the economics of Roku\u2019s business, which calls for ever-more ad revenue and\u2014more recently\u2014a push for more subscriptions.<\/p>\n
This manifests itself in a bunch of ways:<\/p>\n
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The Home section, which once presented a straightforward list of your installed apps, now includes promotional content tiles and links to various content submenus.<\/li>\n
The left sidebar menu now has a banner ad at the bottom, which means the default menu options don\u2019t all fit and you must scroll up and down to see them all.<\/li>\n
The banner ads in both the Home section and sidebar menu now have animations and video.<\/li>\n
More of Roku\u2019s own apps are now pre-installed, including the recently acquired Frndly TV and the recently launched Howdy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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The bottom-left banner covers up some menu options.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Jared Newman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Fundamentally, it\u2019s fine for Roku to try moving past the app grid paradigm and recommending more things to watch from the home screen. People do need help sorting through all their streaming services, and other streaming platforms have been trying to tackle that problem for years.<\/p>\n
But a lot of what Roku\u2019s doing weighs too heavily on the side of upselling more services instead of helping navigate what you\u2019re already paying for. To wit: Roku has a useful \u201cContinue Watching\u201d feature that tracks all the shows you\u2019re watching across different services, but it\u2019s buried in a \u201cWhat to Watch\u201d menu that\u2019s all too easy to ignore. Why not put it in the newly-expanded Home section instead?<\/p>\n
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\u201cContinue Watching\u201d is a great feature that\u2019s too hard to reach.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Jared Newman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Roku still deserves credit for nailing a lot of the little things. Many folks appreciate the remote\u2019s dedicated fast-forward, rewind, and play\/pause buttons\u2014Google TV and Apple TV devices omit these\u2014as well as the \u201cReplay\u201d button that jumps back in time with closed captions temporarily enabled. Roku also does a great job surfacing free content through its Featured Free menu and Roku Channel app, and support for Apple\u2019s AirPlay comes in handy for sharing content from iPhones and iPads. The experience is overall positive; there\u2019s just so much room for improvement.<\/p>\n
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\u201cFeatured Free\u201d is a dedicated menu for free movies and shows (with ads).<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Jared Newman \/ Foundry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Roku Streaming Stick Plus vs. the rest<\/h2>\n
For most Roku fans, the Streaming Stick Plus is a better option than the $30 Streaming Stick, with speedier app load times, better Wi-Fi connectivity, and 4K HDR video support. It\u2019s also worth considering over the $50 Roku Streaming Stick 4K if you don\u2019t care about Dolby Vision and have a decent Wi-Fi setup.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d also pick the Roku Streaming Stick Plus over Amazon\u2019s low-cost Fire TV Sticks, because for as cluttered as Roku\u2019s software has become, Amazon\u2019s is still a lot worse. If you prefer a more content-forward interface, consider Walmart\u2019s Onn streaming devices (the $20 Onn box, $30 Onn 4K Plus, or $50 Onn 4K Pro) as alternatives.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, the middle dongle in Roku\u2019s lineup should be all you need.<\/p>\n
This review is part of TechHive\u2019s in-depth coverage of the best streaming devices.<\/em><\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tBest Prices Today: Roku Streaming Stick Plus\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\t\tAuthor: Jared Newman, Contributor\t\t<\/h3>\n
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Jared has been a freelance technology journalist for more than 15 years and is a regular contributor to PCWorld, Fast Company, and TechHive, where he’s written a weekly cord-cutting column since 2014. His Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter has more than 30,000 subscribers, and his Advisorator tech advice newsletter is read by nearly 10,000 people each week. Jared has a master’s degree in journalism from NYU and specializes in making complex tech topics easy to understand, from streaming and cord-cutting to neat apps and useful tech tricks. He is based in Cincinnati, OH.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n
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{"id":12996,"date":"2025-09-09T20:12:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T20:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usaontheweb.com\/clone1\/roku-streaming-stick-plus-review-the-sweet-spot-for-upgraders\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T20:12:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T20:12:16","slug":"roku-streaming-stick-plus-review-the-sweet-spot-for-upgraders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usaontheweb.com\/clone1\/roku-streaming-stick-plus-review-the-sweet-spot-for-upgraders\/","title":{"rendered":"Roku Streaming Stick Plus review: The sweet spot for upgraders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Website design <\/p>\n

Skip to content<\/p>\n

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Image: Jared Newman \/ Foundry<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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At a glance<\/h4>\n

Our Verdict <\/h3>\nThe middle dongle in Roku\u2019s latest streamer lineup is just right.<\/p>\nPrice When Reviewed<\/p>\nThis value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined<\/p>\nBest Pricing Today<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Price When Reviewed<\/h3>\n$39.99<\/p>\n

Our Verdict <\/h3>\n
The middle dongle in Roku\u2019s latest streamer lineup is just right.<\/p>\n
Price When Reviewed<\/p>\n
This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined<\/p>\n
Best Pricing Today<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Price When Reviewed<\/h3>\n
$39.99<\/p>\n