Roku Ultra Review 2023

Is the Roku Ultra good?

As the name suggests, the Ultra is Roku’s top-of-the-line streaming device—and it lives up to the title. It doesn’t look much different from the original matte-black squares from the dawn of Roku (yes, streaming was a thing back in 2010), but the Ultra is a fully-loaded modern powerhouse.

Streaming devices like Amazon Fire TV Cube and Apple 4K TV pose serious competition, but the Ultra is equal to either of them (minus exclusive Amazon and Apple features) and yet still cheaper. If you’re past the rookie cord-cutter stage and ready to go all-in on streaming, the Roku Ultra could be for you—especially if you don’t care about those Amazon and Apple features.

Roku Ultra pros and cons

Jump to:
Deals and promotions
Roku Ultra vs. the competition
Specs
Setup and equipment

Roku Ultra deals and promotions

When you buy and activate a Roku device, you can get 30-day free trials for several paid streaming services (just remember to cancel at the end of the month).

But before you buy the Roku Ultra, check the price. Although it’s typically around $90–$95, the Ultra frequently goes on sale for less.

What is Roku Ultra?

Roku Ultra vs. the competition

Comparing boxes to boxes, Roku Ultra costs less than most of the competition while still delivering  all of the same features.

Roku Ultra specs

• Price: $89.99 (retail price is usually $90.00–$95.00)
• Size: 4.9” x 4.9”
• Video: 1080p, 4K, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
• Audio: Digital stereo, DTS Digital Surround, Dolby Audio, and Dolby Atmos
• Wi-Fi: 802.11ac MIMO dual-band wireless
• Storage: MicroSD card slot
• Other ports: Ethernet, USB

The Ultra is Roku’s largest device, and it’s still under 5 square inches—meaning it takes up as much media center real estate as a CD case (remember those?). The latest models still include the iconic cloth purple tag because, like a pair of Levis, a Roku ain’t a Roku without a splash of color.

The coolest features of the Ultra device are also the simplest: an Ethernet port for wired internet connection, a USB port for outside media (video, photos, audio, etc.), and a microSD port for extra storage.

There’s also a “lost remote” button on top of the Ultra—press it and the errant remote beeps. You never think you’ll need it . . . until you need it.

Roku Ultra setup

Besides a streaming box, the Roku Ultra package also comes with an AC power adapter, a remote with batteries, an HDMI cable, and a pair of black JBL earbuds to use with the remote.

How to set up your Roku Ultra

1. Once you’ve secured the HDMI cable, the on-screen setup wizard will take you through the steps of launching the Ultra.
2. Auto-detect video and audio specs.
3. Connect to your Wi-Fi network.
4. Sign into or create a Roku account.
5. Pick a handful of apps to start with.
6. Through your account at my.roku.com, you can rename your Ultra—either to something standard (“Living Room Ultra”) or sassy (“Sparkles the Wonder Unicorn”). Whatever you like.

Included equipment

• Roku Ultra streaming player
• Enhanced voice remote
• JBL earbuds
• 2 AA batteries
• AC power adapter
• HDMI cable

Equipment you’ll need

• TV with HDMI port
• Wi-Fi network

Roku Ultra apps

Roku TV and video apps (partial list)

• Adult Swim
• Amazon Prime Video
• AMC+
• Apple TV+
• Arrow
• Brown Sugar
• CBS Sports
• CONtv
• The Criterion Channel
• The CW
• DIRECTV STREAM
• Discovery+
• Disney+
• ESPN+

• Fandor
• FOX Sports
• fuboTV
• Full Moon Features
• Hulu/Hulu + Live TV
• Kanopy
• Max
• NBC Sports
• Netflix
• Night Flight Plus
• Paramount+
• Peacock
• Philo
• PLEX

• Pluto TV
• Prende
• Shout! Factory TV
• SHOWTIME
• Shudder
• Sling TV
• Spectrum
• Tubi
• Vidgo
• VIX
• YouTube
• YouTube TV
• Full Roku TV and video apps list

Other apps

Roku’s streaming TV and movies game is strong, but gaming isn’t really its thing—you can probably get better apps on your phone. At least you can rock your Spotify or Pandora.

Roku entertainment apps (partial list):

• Spotify
• Pandora
• Amazon Music
• iHeartRadio
• TuneIn
• SiriusXM
• Wheel of Fortune
• Jeopardy!
• Pac-Man Championship
• Downhill Bowling
• Backgammon

• Snake
• Video Poker
• Sudoku Deluxe
• Mr. Laser
• Candy Bear
• Chicken Run
• Blackjack
• Minecraft
• T-rump’s World
• Full Roku entertainment apps list
  

App and channel guide user experience

Roku’s big-tile interface is one of its most appealing features, since you can customize the array of apps to your liking. Either float your favorites to the top for quicker access, or arrange them by type or name, or even stack them according to color—we get you, graphic designers.

Most mainstream TV apps, like Netflix and Hulu, have their own functionality when it comes to commands like rewind and fast-forward, allowing for preview windows and controlled clicking velocity. The rest default to Roku’s style, which doesn’t allow for previews or much of anything else. You get what you pay for with free apps (including ads).

Unlike other Roku models, the Ultra can connect directly to a router with an Ethernet cable—which, in theory, would allow for a faster and more stable internet connection. It’s a great feature, but we found that the Ultra’s dual-band Wi-Fi performance was just as solid and speedy as a wired connection. If you don’t like extra wires, you can probably skip the Ethernet cable.

Roku Ultra remote

Remote control user experience

Ultra’s slick little clicker works smoothly and quickly, and its basic candy-bar design fits the hand perfectly. And don’t forget the device-matching cloth Roku tag—so cute.

Here are the command buttons:

Below all those are the shortcut buttons (two customizable, four preset to Netflix and other services). The headphone jack and separate volume controls are on the side.

If you’re already a fan of Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri, prepare to be underwhelmed by Roku Voice command. Where the other voice assistants can control an entertainment center or even an entire smart home, Roku’s voice command works on the only Ultra—and even that performance is just . . . okay. If you like to talk to your gadgets, just know that Roku Ultra doesn’t bring much to the voice-control conversation.

For more control, download Roku’s free mobile app for Android and iOS, which makes your phone into an instant full-featured remote.

Roku models

If you don’t care about the Ultra’s USB and Ethernet ports, you could go with Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K. It does everything the Ultra does, and it takes up zero space (except on the back of your TV). The Roku Express is one of the cheapest streamers available at $17.99—check out our Roku Express review to see all its features.

Roku Ultra compatible devices

Any TV with an HDMI port is compatible with Roku devices; older TVs with RCA jacks will also work with an adapter. There’s also a line of Roku smart TVs with the interface built in, as well as Roku sound bars and wireless sound systems, if you want to go full-on native Roku.

Newer Rokus also work with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

Final take

As a feature-loaded 4K streaming TV box with a great remote, there’s little to complain about with the Roku Ultra. The simple setup and interface don’t hurt, either—it’s easy for beginners but also still sophisticated enough for videophiles.

Apple TV and Fire TV devotees won’t be won over, though: Siri and Alexa have superior voice-command performance, not to mention interfaces tailored for the worlds of Apple and Amazon. Roku is brand-agnostic—a big plus or a bigger minus, depending on your tastes.

The best plus: Roku Ultra is just $89.99, meaning there are few cheaper ways to become a power TV streamer overnight.

Methodology

Our TV experts have a combined hundreds of hours of hands-on experience testing the Roku Ultra and other streaming devices. In addition to hands-on testing, we routinely compare streaming devices based on price, features, reliability, value, and more so we can give reliable recommendations to our readers. For more on our process, see our How We Rank page.

Roku Ultra FAQ

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