Roku’s Four Players: Dolby Vision Starts at the Stick 4K

Roku sells four streaming players in the US, and each step up adds something the cheaper one lacks: the $39.99 Streaming Stick is HD, the Stick Plus adds 4K with HDR10+, the Stick 4K adds Dolby Vision and a long-range Wi-Fi receiver, and the Ultra adds Wi-Fi 6, Ethernet and a rechargeable remote. The Express and Express 4K+ are gone: Roku’s own pages say both are “no longer available for purchase”.

Prices are as Roku’s US store listed them on 18 October 2026, with no discount shown that day. Black Friday is 27 November, and retailers’ prices may move before then; these are the list prices to measure a deal against.

The four players

	Streaming Stick (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Streaming Stick Plus (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Streaming Stick 4K (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Ultra (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)
Roku US store, 18 Oct 2026	$39.99	$59.99	$79.99	$149.99
Max resolution	1080p	4K at 60fps	4K at 60fps	4K at 60fps
HDR formats	None listed	HDR10, HDR10+, HLG	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Wi-Fi	Dual-band, standard not stated	Dual-band, standard not stated	802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5), long-range receiver	Wi-Fi 6
Ethernet	No	No	No	10/100
Remote	Voice, TV controls, AAA batteries	Voice, TV controls, AAA batteries	Voice, TV controls, AAA batteries	Voice Remote Pro: rechargeable, backlit, hands-free, lost-remote finder
Power from TV’s USB port	Yes (5V, 1A)	Yes (5V, 1A)	Yes (5V, 1A)	No; 12V adaptor
Model number	3840R	3830R	3820R2	4850R

Specs are from the “Product details” list on each player’s page; USB power for the sticks is from Roku Support. Roku’s players page also lists the Streambar SE at $149.99, a soundbar with 4K streaming built in, which is a different kind of product and not in the table.

What each step adds

Streaming Stick (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab) to Stick Plus (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab): 4K and HDR. Roku’s FAQ puts it plainly: the two share “the same compact plug‑in design and Roku Voice Remote”, and the difference is picture. The Stick Plus plays 3840×2160 at 60fps, with HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG. An HD TV cannot display the 4K output, and Roku’s own guide points HD TVs at the Streaming Stick.

Stick Plus to Stick 4K (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab): Dolby Vision and stronger Wi-Fi. The Stick 4K adds Dolby Vision, and Roku describes its Wi-Fi as long-range: its page lists 802.11ac dual-band MIMO Wi-Fi with the receiver built into the USB power cable, where the cheaper sticks list only “dual-band Wi-Fi”. Dolby Vision works only if the TV supports it too, and not every 4K TV does: as we set out in how HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision differ, Samsung’s S90F lists HDR10+ but not Dolby Vision. Check your TV’s spec sheet for the words before paying for the step up.

Stick 4K to Ultra (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab): the network, the remote and the speed. The Ultra is a box rather than a stick, and it is the one Roku player with an Ethernet port, a 10/100 one, alongside Wi-Fi 6. It also has a USB 3.0 port for playing your own video, music and photos, Dolby Atmos decoding over HDMI, an HDMI 2.1b output, and an HDMI cable in the box. Roku says it is “30% faster than any other Roku player”; that is Roku’s claim, and its page does not say how it was measured.

The remote is the other difference you would notice daily. The three sticks ship with a voice remote that has TV power, volume and mute buttons, running on two AAA batteries. The Ultra’s Voice Remote Pro (2nd edition) is rechargeable over USB-C, has backlit buttons and hands-free “Hey Roku” voice control, and has a lost-remote finder. None of the three stick pages lists those features.

Power: the sticks can run off the TV

Roku Support says “All Roku Streaming Sticks support USB power”, and the setup step is to plug the stick’s cable into a USB port on the back of the TV. Each stick page lists the input as 5V, 1A, and typical draw while streaming at about 2.2W for the Streaming Stick, 2.5W for the Stick Plus and under 3.5W for the Stick 4K.

Roku also says the USB port on some TVs cannot power its devices; if you see its on-screen warning, it says to use a 5V 1A USB power adaptor and a wall outlet. The Stick 4K includes a power adaptor in the box; the Streaming Stick and Stick Plus come with a USB-C to USB-A cable only. That is more than Amazon publishes for its own sticks: as we found in our look at Amazon’s new stick on paper, Amazon gives no power figure for running the Fire TV Stick 4K from a TV’s port.

Who each one suits, by the specs

• An HD TV, a spare room or travel: the Streaming Stick. It plays up to 1080p, and 4K would not show on that screen.
• A 4K TV with HDR10 or HDR10+ but no Dolby Vision: the Stick Plus covers both formats.
• A 4K TV with Dolby Vision, or a TV far from the router: the Stick 4K, for Dolby Vision and the long-range receiver.
• A wired network connection, Atmos speakers, or a remote that goes missing: the Ultra is the one with Ethernet, Atmos decoding and the lost-remote finder.

A 4K player shows 4K only when the service and the plan send it; several services keep 4K for their top tier, as our list of which streaming plans include 4K sets out. When we read Roku’s update pages in September, they gave no number of years it will keep updating a player; what each TV platform promises on updates compares that with Amazon, Google and the TV makers.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between the Roku Streaming Stick and the Streaming Stick Plus?

Resolution and HDR. On Roku’s spec pages the Streaming Stick plays up to 1080p, and the Stick Plus plays 4K at 60fps with HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG. Both have dual-band Wi-Fi, the same voice remote with TV controls, and can run off a TV’s USB port. Roku listed them at $39.99 and $59.99 on 18 October 2026.

Which Roku supports Dolby Vision?

The Streaming Stick 4K and the Roku Ultra. The Streaming Stick Plus lists HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG but not Dolby Vision, and the Streaming Stick is HD only. Dolby Vision also needs a TV that supports it.

Is the Roku Express discontinued?

Yes. Roku’s Streaming Stick page says the Express “is no longer available for purchase”, and its Stick Plus page says the same of the Express 4K+. Roku names the Streaming Stick and the Stick Plus, both launched in 2025, as their replacements.

Can a Roku stick be powered by the TV’s USB port?

Roku Support says all of its Streaming Sticks support USB power, and each stick page lists a 5V, 1A power input. Some TVs’ ports cannot supply that; Roku says to use a 5V 1A adaptor and a wall outlet if you see its low-power warning. The Ultra uses its own 12V adaptor.

Which Roku has an Ethernet port?

Of Roku’s four current players, the Ultra is the one with a built-in Ethernet port, a 10/100 port, plus Wi-Fi 6. None of the three sticks’ spec lists includes Ethernet.

What does the Roku Ultra add over the Streaming Stick 4K?

On Roku’s pages: Wi-Fi 6 instead of 802.11ac, a 10/100 Ethernet port, a USB 3.0 port for local media, Dolby Atmos decoding, and the Voice Remote Pro, which is rechargeable and backlit, with hands-free voice and a lost-remote finder. Roku also calls it 30% faster than any other Roku player.