Streaming Devices / Roku
Roku Streaming Stick (2025)
Roku's entry stick — clean software, but HD only with no HDR.
Overall score 5.5/10
Pros
- + Roku OS is the cleanest and least ad-driven of the major streaming platforms
- + Runs entirely off the TV's USB port
- + Bluetooth headphone mode works directly from the device
- + Tiny and genuinely travel-friendly
Cons
- − 1080p only, and no HDR of any kind — the only current Roku with no HDR at all
- − 512MB of RAM, the least of any device here
- − No ethernet option
- − Basic AAA remote with no backlight or finder
- − List price rose to $39.99 in July 2026, which is a lot for an HD, no-HDR stick
Roku Streaming Stick (2025) review: what the specs say
Roku's entry stick — clean software, but HD only with no HDR. At $39.99, Roku's 2025 model sits among the cheapest we cover — the streaming Devices we compare run from $34.99 to $249. It scores 5.5/10 overall, calculated from published specifications across 8 categories rather than from a subjective impression.
Its strongest showing is Platform & Apps at 8.5/10 — operating system, app catalogue, and how advertising-led the interface is. The weakest is Video Quality at 3.5/10, which is the trade-off to weigh before buying: if that is the specification you care about most, one of the alternatives below will serve you better.
Worth knowing before you buy: 1080p only, and no HDR of any kind — the only current Roku with no HDR at all; and 512MB of RAM, the least of any device here. Every specification on this page comes from Roku's own documentation or a verified retail listing — where a figure is not published, the table says so rather than estimating it.
Specifications and price last verified . Report an error
Full Specifications
| Max Resolution | 1080p (upscales from 720p) |
| HDR Formats | None — this model has no HDR support |
| Dolby Vision | No |
| Dolby Atmos | No |
| Processor | ARM Cortex-A55 |
| RAM | 0.5 GB |
| Storage | Not published by Roku GB |
| Wi-Fi | Dual-band; Roku does not publish the 802.11 standard for this model |
| Ethernet | None |
| Bluetooth | Yes — supports headphone mode |
| Operating System | Roku OS 15 |
| Remote | Roku Voice Remote, AAA batteries, TV power and volume; no backlight; no remote finder |
| Connectivity | Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth, HDMI, USB-C power (from the TV's USB port) |
| Material | Plastic HDMI stick, USB-powered from the TV |
| Warranty | 12 months |
Compare Roku Streaming Stick (2025) With
Cheaper Alternative
Fire TV Stick HD (2026) — $34.99
Premium Alternative
Roku Streaming Stick Plus (2025) — $59.99