Roku Ultra (2024) review: a souped-up streamer with a fantastic remote
Roku Ultra (2024): Two-minute review
this Year The Ultra (2024) is the most powerful streaming player I’ve ever seen, though it’s not one of them The best streaming devices It all depends on how you feel about the Roku screen interface. I’m a fan. While I’ll dig into this further below, I’ve found that Roku’s approach to software (and hardware) prioritizes convenience. This is one of the reasons why an external streaming player is still required, even though most modern TVs have their own built-in smart features, which are often not that user-friendly.
The Roku Ultra (2024) costs twice as much as Roku’s next most expensive streaming player Roku Streaming Stick 4Kand the prices are in the higher range for these types of devices. It’s still worth it, not to mention it doesn’t end up being that expensive either. Plus, if you go for the cheaper price, you might lose support for Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HLG, and HDR10+, all of which can be found here. Performance is fast and the remote is as good as any I’ve personally used. All it’s missing is a pass-through HDMI, which might be a benefit in some setups.
In terms of physical design, the Roku Ultra (2024) is what one would expect from a Roku streaming player. It comes in the same matte black color as all of the company’s products, just with a shiny “Roku” logo emblazoned on top. There’s also a shiny patch on the front where the sensor is, and a purple Roku label on the right side.
It’s quite slim at just over an inch tall (its full dimensions are 4.9 x 5 x 1 inches) and has just one physical button on the side that serves dual functions, one side for power and the other triggering the Find My Remote feature . Pressing the “Find My Remote” section will cause the remote to ping until you press the button to indicate you have found it.
As expected, the port selection is very streamlined. There’s an HDMI, an Ethernet port (Wi-Fi 6 is also available), and a USB-A port. The USB port is a great addition because it comes with a rechargeable battery, so it gives you a built-in port to charge the remote.
Regarding HDMI, I would like a pass-through HDMI port. While this feature isn’t typically found on streaming devices, it makes it easier to use the Roku Ultra as the main hub for your setup (if you have a gaming console, for example).
On that note, if you have a relatively modern TV with HDMI eARC (I couldn’t talk to older TVs), you can set the Roku Ultra (2024) to automatically turn the TV on and off and adjust volume levels. You don’t have to do any menu diving for this either, as it’s part of the streaming player settings to enable the feature.
Now, let’s discuss the remote control. This isn’t the first time I’ve used the Roku Voice Remote Pro (2nd Edition) included with the Roku Ultra (2024) for competitive gaming. I’m a fan of the remote when I comment Roku Pro Series TVs I’m a fan now.
Upon closer inspection, the only thing that differentiates it from Roku’s other remotes is that it maintains the general shape and layout. It has a USB-C port on the butt for charging, which is an upgrade from previous rechargeable remotes that used micro-USB, which I’ve had reliability issues with this form factor. It has a switch on the side for hands-free voice support (more on that later).
There are a few extra buttons on the Roku Voice Remote Pro. You can use a reprogrammable launch button if you want a shortcut to launch an app that doesn’t already have a dedicated button on your remote, or to quickly turn closed captions on/off (just to name a few). There’s also a Guide button for launching Roku Live TV Guide channels and four for Netflix, Disney+, apple TV+ and Prime Video.
My only complaint is that these apps should all be reprogrammable (in a perfect world), since not everyone will subscribe to these four apps. But my gripe with the remote starts and ends here, because its keyboard is backlit – it lights up automatically when you pick it up – which is awesome.
Roku’s hands-free feature is also great. I no longer have to press the Listen button (although it’s still there) to use my voice to navigate the interface. I can just say “Hey Roku, launch Netflix” to launch Netflix. You don’t have to express your request very clearly and concisely, it’s not perfect, but it usually works well.
In terms of voice assistant support, Roku Ultra (2024) is on par with Roku smart home, Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple AirPlay and HomeKit. It also supports Bluetooth, so you can pair headphones with it for late-night viewing.
In terms of the performance of the Roku Ultra (2024), Roku touts its streaming device as “30% faster than any other Roku player.” While the company doesn’t advertise the CPU’s internals or even its speed, it does feel very fast. The fact that it supports Wi-Fi 6 (which other Roku streaming players don’t) should in itself help the player respond faster.
I was able to compare the Roku Ultra (2024) with the Roku Streambar as a baseline. Loading a Roku channel on the Streambar took seven seconds, and loading a movie took four seconds. The Roku Ultra (2024) took four seconds to load the same app and one second to load the same movie. Even navigating through Roku’s interface is almost instant.
As long as you don’t care about the 120Hz refresh rate, there aren’t any holes in what the Roku Ultra (2024) supports – however, no external streaming players currently support this. What you get is Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HLG and HDR10/10+. No other Roku streaming player supports all of these formats. For example, the second most expensive entry in the Roku lineup lacks Dolby Atmos.
Finally, we need to discuss interfaces. First, setup is simple, just like Roku. As long as you know your Wi-Fi password and Roku account password, all you have to do is follow the on-screen steps. It’s also easy to create a new account or reset a password (like I had to do). Just make sure your email is accessible.
If you have used a previous Roku device that was registered to your email, and installed apps that were also registered to your email, the apps will automatically install and log you in once you complete setup.
As for the interface itself, the homepage that lists all the apps is easy to read and as intuitive as the interface. More in-depth features, settings, and more are listed on the left, including some new features like a dedicated Sports page. It’s also intuitive to go through these. Everything makes sense where they are listed. For example, when you go to the Remotes and Devices section, all external devices you may have connected will be listed there, or connected through the settings here.
There’s also a ton of free Roku-related content available for those of us hurt by rising app prices. The only slightly annoying thing is the Roku content ads on the right side of the screen or during screensaver.
I have always considered Roku to be a convenience-first company, and making products that are easy to interact with is the top priority. The same goes for the Roku Ultra (2024), but in this case, performance is also a factor.
Roku Ultra (2024): Price and release date
- Price: $99.99 (approximately £80/AU$150)
- Release date: September 2024
For whatever reason, Roku’s performance outside of the U.S. has been somewhat mixed. This means that, at the time of writing, people in the UK or Australia will have to be envious (or invest in capable competitors).
Actual price is $99.99 (around £80/AU$150) – in the higher price range for most streaming players other than Apple TV 4K – despite already seeing discounts. That’s double the price of the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, the second most expensive pure streaming player Roku makes (so not counting soundbars and TVs). You’ll have to decide whether you care about Wi-Fi 6 support, Dolby Atmos or the new backlit remote, which are all part of the Ultra package but not the Streaming Stick 4K.
new Google TV Streaming (4K) It’s the same price, has the same 4K, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, but no Wi-Fi 6 support – which may be a factor in how fast these devices run. It does have a redesigned remote for previous Chromecast players, so we can see how it compares to Roku’s new remote.
Of course, you can go a little cheaper and still retain much of the same support for HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and Atmos Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023)although Atmos is only available on some services. While it’s cheaper at $59.99 / £69.99 / AU$119 (not including many discounts), its operating system is a bit heavy Amazon The main material, including a bunch of related ads, so keep the price difference in mind.
Should you buy a Roku Ultra (2024)?
| property | notes | grade |
| feature | Supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos, and compatible with Amazon, Google, and Apple smart home protocols | 4/5 |
| Performance | It’s fast, supports all required formats such as Dolby Atmos, and is easy to navigate | 4.5/5 |
| design | Limited ports, but nearly perfect remote and fairly slim, discreet physical design | 4.5/5 |
| value | It’s twice as much as the next-highest-priced Roku streaming player, but it’s still a good value and on par with the competition’s highest-priced offerings | 4.5/5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Roku Ultra (2024): Also Consider
How I tested the Roku Ultra (2024)
- Use regularly for several weeks
- Tested with various applications
- Tested the remote control
I’ve been using a Roku Ultra (2024) regularly for a few weeks. I use it with Roku content, popular third-party content like the Max, and the company’s free products. I also spent time using the remote and its various functions.
Over the years, I’ve tested a lot of tech equipment from laptops to keyboards and speakers, so I’m able to use my expertise to give an honest and unbiased opinion, not to mention a critical eye, on any product I test.
First review time: November 2024
