If you find that your TV is too slow to stream the built-in apps, here’s a good deal that can fix the problem cheaply: This Roku Streaming Stick 4K is on sale again for $29. This offer was available for much of the holiday season and it’s not an all-time low – the dongle previously dropped to $25 towards the end of 2023 – but it matches the biggest discount we’ve tracked this year. For reference, Roku normally sells the device for $50, but in recent months it has often available in retail stores for $34 from third-party sellers like Amazon. Either way, you’ll save a little more than usual.
The discount is available at several stores including Amazon, Walmart, Best buy And Roku.com. If you’re hoping to snag the device as a Christmas gift, that’s going to be trickier: most of the listings we could find say it won’t ship until after the holidays, so you’ll likely need to order within 24 hours – pick up in store at Walmart, Best Buy or another retailer with physical locations.
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This is the best price we’ve seen for Roku’s 4K streaming dongle all year.
We recommend the Streaming Stick 4K in our guide best streaming devices. It’s not as fast or fluid as a premium set-top box like this Apple TV 4Kbut apps and menus still load quickly, and the tiny design plugs directly into your TV’s HDMI port. It supports almost all major HDR formats and streaming services (Twitch Apart from that), it also works with Apple’s AirPlay 2 protocol, so you can transfer content from an iPhone to it. Although it can’t decode Dolby Atmos audio on its own, it can route that audio to a compatible sound system from apps that support this technology.
Like other Roku devices, the Streaming Stick 4K is dead easy to navigate, with a home screen that consists of a simple grid of apps. Google’s TV streamer (the top pick in our guide) is much more proactive when it comes to recommending content you might like and bringing you back to shows you’ve recently watched. However, if you don’t mind searching for things that interest you, you may find Roku’s interface easier to understand.
A variety of free content is also easily accessible through the interface, and we found search to work well, although it’s not quite as robust as Google’s operating system. We also like Roku’s mobile app, which lets you control the device and listen privately with a pair of headphones. Like any other streaming player, there are ads scattered throughout the interface, although Roku is at least a little less aggressive about it than Amazon Fire TV devices.
Several other Roku devices are also still available at their Black Friday prices, including the Roku Express 4K+ (which lacks Dolby Vision HDR) for $24 and that Year Ultra (with a larger body design, full Atmos support, and a more advanced remote control) for $79. For most people looking for it Visit Roku CityHowever, the Streaming Stick 4K should offer the best price-performance ratio.
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