Roku has announced that it has two new streaming players — the sub-$50 Roku Premiere and Roku Premiere Plus. And if history is any indication, we’ll like them even more. That’s because they seem just good as existing players, and they’re cheaper than ever. And to sweeten the pot, Roku is adding voice control support for Google Assistant (you’ll need to add an Assistant-capable device to your network) and re-introducing Spotify, too.
The $40 Roku Premiere is now the cheapest streaming device on the market that can stream 4K HDR video. This finger-sized mini-box is barely big enough for the (included) HDMI cable, yet can output the highest-quality video from Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Vudu and others, provided you have a 4K HDR TV and, in the case of Netflix, the most expensive subscription tier. The power button on top of the Roku Premiere Plus remote, and volume keys on the side, control your TV.
The other new player is the $50 Premiere Plus. It adds an enhanced remote with a mic for voice searches and commands, and it doesn’t need line-of-sight to the player, so you can stash the Plus out of sight — there’s even a sticker included so you can paste it on the back of the TV. The best part of the enhanced remote, however, is the keys that allow it to turn your TV on and off, and control volume.
Below is a comparison chart for all the current Roku player models:
Roku will continue to sell all five of its original 2017 players at their current prices, from the $30 Express through the $100 Ultra. Aside from a new set of JBL headphones on the Ultra they’re unchanged from last year. That makes seven total available Roku players.
The Roku Premiere is available for preorder now, the Premiere Plus will come exclusively to Walmart in October.
