Roku Streaming Stick Plus review: Powered by the TV and perfect for travel

Roku’s streaming participant lineup is slightly simpler to grasp in 2025 than ever — nevertheless it’s nonetheless a bit complicated. With the discharge of the Roku Streaming Stick and the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, there at the moment are three streaming sticks and one set-top field within the firm’s streaming participant household. Specific fashions and ones with the plus symbols are now not within the combine. The Roku Extremely set-top field is the most costly at $100. The 2021 Streaming Stick 4K goes for $50, whereas the Streaming Stick and the Streaming Stick Plus price $30 and $40, respectively. After reviewing the Streaming Stick Plus and evaluating it to different streamers, I believe it packs an honest quantity of energy (and Roku’s handy interface) right into a small dongle.

The Roku Streaming Stick Plus vs the Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Arguably the Streaming Stick Plus’ greatest competitors comes from inside its household. The Streaming Stick 4K and the Streaming Stick Plus each help 4K picture high quality, regardless of the Plus not having the time period in its identify. The Stick 4K additionally helps Dolby Imaginative and prescient and has a longer-range Wi-Fi connection. Each join by the Wi-Fi 5 customary, however the “4K” mannequin has a built-in Wi-Fi extender inside its USB energy cable.

At this level, the Stick 4K is four years older than the Plus, and the brand new stick advantages from just a few technological upgrades. For one, the Plus streamier is smaller because of the dearth of Wi-Fi extender and energy adapter. Roku’s math claims the dongle itself is 35 % smaller than the competitors — however actually none of those sticks are notably giant. I discovered that it was certainly smaller than the Amazon Hearth TV Stick I examined. However the measurement discount does not make an enormous distinction in on a regular basis use — particularly since they conceal behind most TVs.

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One other improve is a bit more vital: higher energy effectivity. Now you should use your TV’s USB port to energy the gadget as an alternative of a wall adapter. The Plus doesn’t even include an adapter within the field, making it a extra travel-ready bundle. Older Roku sticks allowed you to do that (and the 4K mannequin can use USB energy on some TVs) however that is the primary 4K-enabled gadget that Roku truly recommends utilizing with no energy adapter. Because you don’t want an open wall outlet close by, the dongle will show extra versatile. It actually would have come in useful throughout a current journey wherein my lodge room’s TV was about 12 ft from the closest obtainable plug.

Each Sticks help Apple AirPlay and are appropriate with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant. They arrive with the identical distant, which packs options like voice enter and the power to manage the facility and quantity of your TV. They each showcase the identical OS, with Roku’s playful, purple interface, which I notably like for stay and free programming — as I outlined in our streaming devices guide.

Efficiency

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The Streaming Stick Plus is fairly quick for a $40 gadget. I’ve a Roku Extremely hooked as much as one other TV in my home and, after I carried out the identical actions on each, the Streaming Stick Plus was solely a bit slower than the Extremely. For example, Disney+ took a second or two to begin on the Extremely, and only a half second or so longer on the Plus. Sure, there was a time distinction, however the Streaming Stick Plus was by no means frustratingly sluggish.

I don’t suppose anybody actually expects a streaming stick with carry out on the similar degree as most up-to-date sensible TVs. My set is comparatively new and side-by-side comparisons confirmed a minor disparity between a dongle and an even bigger, built-in CPU. Take the Netflix menu, for instance. It’s clear and crisp and vibrant by way of my TV’s native Netflix app, however the identical web page was markedly fuzzier and extra pixelated after I opened it on the Roku gadget.

That stated, I solely famous a slight distinction in high quality between the 2 when a present was truly enjoying. Sweeping photographs of the sumptuous-yet-blood-stained White Home interiors in The Residence have been solely the slightest bit grainier on the Roku. True video connoisseurs could be aware the disparity, however those that are simply right here to see Detective Cupp unnerve all of the suspects received’t seemingly discover.

Must you get the Roku Streaming Stick Plus?

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One thing the scale of a tube of squashed lipstick can’t rival a great sensible TV. However you probably have an older display screen or a less expensive set with a tedious interface, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus may make TV time extra pleasurable. Comparable streaming sticks embody Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K, which is $10 extra at full worth (although it’s typically on sale). Between the 2, I’d go together with Roku’s Streaming Stick Plus, as Roku’s interface is much extra useful. That is additionally the stick I wish to take with me on my subsequent journey. I can plug it in on the Airbnb and, as an alternative of logging in to no matter random apps the TV occurs to have, I can watch extra Doctor Who. I received’t have to fret about the place the closest outlet is and I’ll be spared the trouble of typing in my stupidly lengthy Disney+ password.

As for whether or not you need to get this or Roku’s different 4K-enabled streaming stick, I’d go together with this one. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is $10 cheaper and 4 years newer. The truth that it’s powered by the TV means the dongle and the USB energy cable match out of sight so if you happen to, like me, are against the look of snaking wires in every single place, you’ll be happy. In fact, you probably have a TV that supports Dolby Imaginative and prescient or your Wi-Fi router is admittedly distant out of your TV, then you’ll be able to go together with the Streaming Stick 4K — that’s actually the one main benefit that mannequin has. In any other case, the Streaming Stick Plus is an efficient decide for an inexpensive however fashionable streaming participant.

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