Roku Streaming Stick Plus review: Powered by the TV and perfect for travel

Navigating the Rokuverse in 2025: Streamers Demystified (Sort Of).

The gamut of Roku streaming? Less of a tangled web, more of a slightly organized drawer in 2025. They’ve trimmed the fat, ditching the “Express” and “+” models, leaving us with a streamlined quartet: one set-top box and three sleek streaming sticks.

First comes the $100 Roku Ultra, considered the heavyweight champ of streaming. Next comes the spectacular 4K visuals of the Streaming Stick 4K ($50). Last, we have the budget-friendly Streaming Stick ($30) and Streaming Stick Plus ($40).

Having wrestled with Streaming Stick+, I can attest to it being a pocket-sized powerhouse, armed with Roku’s famously user-friendly interface. Is this the ultimate streaming interface?! That question may have to remain for another day. Come setup and start your simple streaming with Roku!

Roku/Engadget

Roku Streaming Stick

Wearied by tussling with hotel TVs or vying for precious outlets at home? Roku’s Streaming Stick Plus breaks all barriers on the wall, with no plug needed! Stream anywhere, anytime.

Pros

• Uses your TV’s USB port for power instead of a wall adapter
• Decent speed for a $40 device

Cons

• No extended Wi-Fi range
• Not as fast as most smart TVs or pricier streaming devices

$40 at Amazon

The Roku Streaming Stick Plus vs the Roku Streaming Stick 4K

The Streaming Stick Plus really goes up against its unforgiving enemy’s twin. The Streaming Stick 4K and its deceptively telegraphic sibling, Streaming Stick Plus, both hype their vibrant 4K visuals up, but the “4K” gentleman is much more subtle and packs a secret punch: Dolby Vision and extended Wi-Fi range. Both devices are Wi-Fi 5, but the Stick 4K has uppity connectivity because it secretly conceals a Wi-Fi extender within its USB power cable.

Four years down the line, the date difference finds its way into the aging grooves of the Roku Streaming Stick 4K versus the Streaming Stick Plus. The newer one flaunts a fitter design, removing the Plus’s Wi-Fi range extender and onerous power adapter. Roku goes on to claim a 35% size reduction when compared to its competitors, and though none of these sticks is really gigantic, the difference can be perceived. In my trials, the stick was indeed smaller than the Amazon Fire TV Stick. Does this shrinking act revolutionize the streaming experience? No, really. Either one goes behind your TV, so the insignificant size difference hardly matters when you carry on with binge-watching.

A tale of two streamers: On the left, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, a combo of potential-cable, Wi-Fi extender, and dongle, waiting to unleash stunning Ultra HD experiences. On the right, its predecessor, the Roku Streaming Stick+, slimmer yet equally capable, bearing only its own cable and dongle. Which contender will conquer that couch of yours?

(Amy Skorheim for Engadget)

But the actual magic was to serve up a little twist: no wall wart. The new Roku stick is so efficient in powering itself that its electricity is channeled into a slim juice bar through the USB port on your television. Roku is deliberately not packing the adapter, advertising freedom for keeping light luggage. Those previous variants did look at USB power once in a while, but this feature-packed 4K-enabled incarnation really bit the bullet. Uber outlets, begone! That hotel room miles away from a plug? That dongle could have been the perfect savior. Merely so, freedom from outlet tyranny!

Imagine a world where streaming can just glide by, voice commands perform magic, and your TV obliges your every wish. That is the promise that both Sticks convey. They are more than just streaming devices; they are smart home hubs that dance to the tunes of AirPlay, Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. The shared remote is your magic wand, actively calling shows into being with voice input and keeping the TV power and volume in check. And background to it all stands Roku’s massively colorful purple interface-a playground for live and free content I’ve championed for ages.

Performance

Amy Skorheim for Engadget

And that does draw a cheap ray in the bargain for just $40. I put it against its more expensive sibling Roku Ultra, and the results are quite surprising. Launching Disney+ on Ultra was lightning fast, around a second. The Plus? Just a smidge slower. The difference is extremely minuscule-we’re talking fractions of a second here. The Ultra is Super-fast, of course, but the Stick Plus never felt like it was lagging, proving that patience should not be the badge for a cheap price.

Let’s be honest: no streaming stick would even dare to attempt an opponent of the contemporary smart TV. With my own TV being practically fresh out of the assembly line, I could sense a difference. The little dongle’s processor simply could not coexist with the powerful built-in brains of the TV, at least were they to compete side by-side. Take Netflix for example. Although the menu pops off the screen when seen through the TV native app-horribly sharp, clear, and colorful-the very same page loaded on the Roku will almost bare a haze of dirtiness-less sharp, pixelated, and an overall downgrade.

But as soon as it hits play, the quality difference narrows to an eyelash. Those opulent, blood-tinted White House hallways inThe Residence? On Roku, all the tiny hint of grain left over from the film might just be a bit more apparent. A video purist might be able to tell, but the average viewer will wipe away any such difference while watching Detective Cupp bait witnesses into confessions.

Should you get the Roku Streaming Stick Plus?

Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Throw away thoughts of muscle-heavy remotes. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus works a liberating enchantment for the poor guy on the other end with an aging smart TV with an annoying UI or a budget screen. Take it for a pocket-sized streaming portal.

Yes, a lipstick-sized gadget can take on your smart TV.

That would be a pricier choice even, but the well-organized user interface makes the Roku stick top-class. This little stick has now become my favorite travel accessory. To all the Airbnb TVs out there, it’s the Doctor Who that I’m bringing. No more searching around for an outlet or wrestling with the ever-so-long Disney+ password! Just plug it in and stream away!

Forget about tangled wires and cumbersome boxes! When you are choosing among Roku’s 4K streaming sticks, let us consider the Streaming Stick Plus, which remains the unsung hero. It costs $10 less and is somehow four years newer, so it has that older-new feel-a rare combination that is a blessing for the budget-conscious. Cleverly designed to make use of the TV’s power output, it could also end cable management nightmares while keeping the entertainment center identity crisp and clean.

You’re hardly going to opt for a Streaming Stick 4K if Dolby Vision visuals are not the favourite of yours or if your Wi-Fi signal is weaker than a kitten. And those are the only slight wins for the Streaming Stick 4K. For smooth and inexpensive streaming, Streaming Stick Plus is the winner by far. Clear out the clutter, not the content!

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