Roku Ultra Review: Is It Worth The Money?

The Roku Ultra is a media streamer plugs directly into your TV's HDMI port. The little box has Wi-Fi so you can stream shows and movies from services like Netflix and Hulu, as well as music and podcasts from places like Spotify.

The Roku Ultra is simple to install and can be linked to an HDMI cable. After setup is complete, you can switch between HD, 4K, and 4K HDR video playback. The included remote is also quite impressive, with features such as a lost-remote finder, hands-free operation, Bluetooth connectivity for discreet listening, and quick access to the most frequently used streaming services.

Even though fierce competition from industry giants such as Google, Amazon, and Apple, the newly released Roku Ultra (which can be purchased for $99.99 but is now on sale for $69.99) demonstrates that size is not the most crucial factor.

The Roku Ultra 2022 incorporates all of our preferred features from earlier Roku streaming media players and the superior Voice Remote Pro to deliver the most superior streaming experience. There is simply no streaming device capable of fulfilling this many requirements while costing less than one hundred dollars.

Although Roku hasn't made many changes between this model and its previous iterations of the Roku Ultra (so there's no need to upgrade just yet), if you're in the market for a new streaming device, this one is hard to beat.

Features of The Roku Ultra

Roku Ultra is a small black box with big power. The Ultra has over four thousand Roku channels, including Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Apple TV+, and Amazon Prime Video. The 2022 Ultra has voice remote pro features like a headphone jack, remote finder, and hands-free voice control.

Roku Ultra also has Bluetooth features. Bluetooth can only stream audio from phones or computers, not headphones. It supports Dolby Vision and Atmos for great audio and video. It supports 4K/HDR, Ethernet, USB media, and quad-core processors.

What We Like About The Roku Ultra

New Remote

It's great to see Roku's best streaming device include the Voice Remote Pro, which was sold separately last year. Roku's previous Ultra remote was arguably the best. Still, the Voice Remote Pro's rechargeable battery, headphone jack, built-in TV volume, and power controls, and voice searching make it the best.

Like an Apple TV remote? You're buying a remote to control your entire content library, not a statement piece. Roku still does that better than most, with four shortcut buttons, two you can program to any app, a clicky directional pad, and simple controls for play, pause, back, details, etc. 

All Major Streaming Services Supported

Some streamers make it challenging to switch between apps if you use them on your streaming device. You tend to highlight your content if you make a streaming device and service. Roku's interface has many ads for its free Roku Channel, but when you boot up the Roku, you see your favorite apps. It's straightforward and hard to lose.

Speeding Things Up

Rokus are not as powerful as other streaming devices because they are not typically used for gaming; however, it appears that Roku has paid particular attention to speed things up with the new Ultra model. The rate with which everything worked, such as when downloading apps over Wi-Fi, was immediately apparent. I had forty to fifty additional channels installed in fewer than twenty minutes. I didn't need to re-enter my login information because Roku had transferred most of it automatically (Netflix was the lone exception).

Is Roku Ultra Worth It?

Now, let's talk about the big question. Is the Roku Ultra worth the almost $100 price tag compared to the Roku streaming stick 4K+, which costs $30 less and only lacks Ethernet and USB ports for wired connections and playing media from a USB drive?

We conclude that most people shouldn't bother. But if you think these extra features are important, it's up to you to decide if the extra money is worth it.