Our favorite 4K streaming device, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus (9/10, WIRED Review), is marked down to just $29 on Amazon, a healthy discount off its already wallet-friendly price. It’s easy to use, extremely compact, and priced well under its competitors. It can turn a dumb 4K TV into a smart streaming platform in under 10 minutes with minimal fuss, and there’s a reason it’s our Editors’ Pick for 4K streaming devices.
You might even consider the Streaming Stick Plus if you already have a smart TV and the interface is slow or buggy. Maybe it’s an older model and the years of updates have finally caught up with it. The Roku’s interface is clean and snappy, but even better, it’s incredibly easy to use, great for anyone who just wants to sit down with their popcorn and get movie night going.
It has great picture quality and feature support too, particularly for the price. It can stream content up to 4K, with support for HDR10, and you’re really only missing Dolby Vision, a high-end HDR codec that’s only found on the most premium televisions (and no Samsung models to date). It has no issue jumping from app to app, and it doesn’t get warm like some previous generations.
The Streaming Stick Plus is surprisingly compact too, with a slim body that’s designed to squeeze into an HDMI port without blocking the ports around it. Most TVs have an extra USB port for powering devices like this on the back, which means you won’t need to find an outlet or a spot on your entertainment stand.
Once reserved for the more premium Roku devices, the updated Streaming Stick Plus now has voice controls. Our reviewer Parker Hall was impressed with how well it worked, and he found it particularly useful for finding where a particular show or movie was streaming if he wasn’t sure.
There are only a few other 4K streaming devices at this price point, and this is our favorite of the bunch, thanks to its super straightforward interface and snappy streaming. Extras like a compact form factor and voice controls only sweeten the deal, especially when there’s a discount involved.
