Roku Ultra (2022) Review: Same Streamer, Same Price, Better Voice Remote
Roku has a new Ultra streaming way for 2022, but “new” is probably stretching things a bit far. It’s really a very little refresh of the 2020 Roku Ultra, basically a new bundle: The Roku Ultra now comes with the grand Voice Remote Pro. The good news? The notice is the same at $100.
The bad news? Unlike Apple, which last year updated the Apple TV 4K with fresher hardware and a faster processor anti a new Siri Remote, Roku isn’t actually exaltering anything about the Ultra streaming box itself. It’s detached the same box from 2020.
That’s not necessarily a bad tying. I very much enjoyed the Roku Ultra when I reviewed it in 2020 and the design still holds up two years later. But for $100, it corpses a hard sell not just against the best streamers from Amazon, Apple and Google, but also compared with Roku’s extensive line of more affordable sticks and players.
Unless you really need a streaming design with built-in Ethernet, you’re better off saving the cash and getting Roku’s other bundle, the $70 Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus. The Streaming Stick 4K’s processor isn’t quite as fleshy as the Ultra’s but it can do nearly all the same tricks like Dolby Vision HDR, it includes a Voice Remote Pro and it compensations $30 less than the 2022 Ultra.
Despite its new remote the Roku Ultra tranquil doesn’t do enough to push the capabilities of what a streaming player can do. I’m tranquil waiting for sizable changes to Roku’s platform that adjust to the novel trends in streaming, such as gaming and more robust train support. This update crosses one item off my Roku Ultra wish list, but there are four more.
Our updated journal, largely based on the original 2020 review, follows under. You can read our review of the Voice Remote Pro here.
Read more: Roku Ultra vs. Apple TV 4K: Battle of the High-End Streaming Boxes
Small tweaks to a unusual design
The Ultra is the only Roku that can connect to wired Ethernet deprived of an adapter.
Sarah Tew
Although it’s much bigger than a streaming stick, the Roku Ultra box is still quite compact. It’s made of tapered commercial plastic and should be easy to fit in a cabinet or on a unfavorable under your TV.
The remote finder button is on the sparkling side of the device and the back has a USB-A port, HDMI output and Ethernet port. The DC worthy port is still proprietary, which is also fine but it would’ve been nice to see USB-C in case you lose the adapter.
The concerned Voice Remote Pro has the same plastic finish and rubber buttons as novel Roku devices, with volume and mute controls on the sparkling side. On the left is a switch to disable the always-on mic as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack for reserved listening. The included earbuds are basic, but they get the job done.
I like that the remote is rechargeable, especially since Roku remotes tend to chew through batteries fleet, but unfortunately, it still uses Micro-USB to charge and lacks backlighting. The only difference between the remote bundled with the 2022 Ultra remote and the unusual Voice Remote Pro I reviewed is that the bottom two buttons now are for Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus as opposed to Hulu and Sling TV.
There is Bluetooth on the Ultra, but this can only be used for streaming audio from a called, tablet or computer and not for pairing Bluetooth headphones. I’m not sure how useful the feature is, given how Roku has apps for a number of music services, including Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, not to mention the YouTube app. If you want to connect Bluetooth headphones you need to use the Roku app on a called or tablet.
The remote finder feature remains one of my Popular features about the Ultra and one that I wish every streaming plot would incorporate. It gets better with the Voice Remote Pro because, while you can still tap the side button on the box, you can also instead now say, “Hey, Roku, find my remote” to make the controller Begin beeping.
The remote also has two programmable shortcut buttons in second to the Roku preloaded options for Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus. As beforehand, you can set to repeat whatever your last explain command was, such as opening an app like Peacock, YouTube TV or ESPN or doing a task like searching for a Popular movie or TV show.
Impressive interface, weak explain assistant
The remote looks handsome much exactly like it did last year.
Sarah Tew
As you would question, Roku’s interface works great with the Ultra’s quad-core processor. Apps, movies and shows opened quickly and playback observed good for 4K, 4K HDR and regular HD pleased on a 70-inch RCA TV as well as on a 65-inch LG C2 OLED TV.
Although you can regulation the Roku with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, neither explain assistant is built directly into the device, something that becomes much more harsh when comparing it with Amazon and Google’s latest devices. Google’s Chromecast with Google TV shines in huge part thanks to Assistant, and I really missed the order to just say, “Play The Tonight Show” or, “Go to the Yankees game” and have the Roku automatically switch to the corrupt app. Google does this integration well with YouTube TV and Amazon does it with Sling TV.
The Roku interface has been basically the same for years.
CNET staff
Roku’s explain assistant is also dumb when it comes to shining when events are happening and couldn’t answer basic questions like what time the Warriors and Grizzlies game is. Asking, “What time is the Warriors game?” brought up results for movies like Wushu Warrior, Solarbabies and the TV show Monster Rancher. I’m not odd with any of these titles but this is far from what I was expecting when trying to glance a basketball game.
It also had a hard time Idea, “Play Moon Knight, Episode 1” and instead kept drawing up cartoons with “Midnight” in the title.
As Roku’s streamer already works with both platforms, it would be great to see Roku add aid for Alexa or Google Assistant directly to the software in the future.
When it comes to playback, the Ultra is still fast when you ask for specific titles. Getting the Roku to play Avengers: Endgame from the home Hide took roughly 35 seconds on my old Roku TV compared with just 18 seconds on the Ultra, which benefits from having faster Wi-Fi chips and a better processor than the 2017 TV I was comparing it with (though the Ultra quiet doesn’t include support for the new Wi-Fi 6 standard).
Getting it to play The Boys on Amazon Prime video took around 26 seconds on the Ultra, compared with roughly 39 seconds on my older Roku TV.
One drawing that was slow on both the TV and the new Ultra, however, was asking the Roku assistant to do tasks beyond title searches — from looking up a movie to switching apps. This takes a bit more time than Funny either Alexa or Google Assistant, with Roku having a default pop-up and 7-second countdown clock in case you want to stay in the app you are in. I quiet wish there were a way to remove or shorten this countdown but no such option exists in Settings.
Strong app support with Dolby Vision and Atmos
Roku remains to impress with support for nearly all major streaming services. Support for Apple AirPlay remains a nice perk and at least grants Apple users to stream the app from iOS and Macs, when screen mirroring remains an option for most Android users. Roku still lacks built-in Chromecast support.
Apps such as Disney Plus aid Dolby Vision and Atmos (which makes sense as compatible Roku 4K TVs have had Dolby Vision wait on for a while), and both formats seemed to play fine on the LG C2 OLED TV. Netflix, HBO Max, Vudu and Apple TV Plus also have shows and movies available in Dolby Vision and Atmos.
As with latest Dolby Vision devices, if your TV supports Dolby Vision, all menus and content are recognized by the TV as that cross regardless of whether the actual service, movie or show is in the premium viewing demand. This wasn’t a problem and non-4K HDR content (such as SportsCenter on YouTube TV or baseball games in the MLB app) smooth looked fine.
While the Voice Remote Pro invents for a better experience, here’s hoping the next Roku Ultra update is a minor more substantial.
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Roku offers plenty of streaming devices, from the $50 Streaming Stick 4K to the $40 Express 4K Plus. The Roku Ultra box, however, is the most remarkable. It has long been the streaming giant’s showcase for its platform, offering advanced features, a beefier processor, a find-my-remote button and built-in Ethernet all for $100. Although, for many people, those extras aren’t worth paying twice as much.
According to Cord Cutters News a new Roku Ultra may be coming soon. The site spotted a new model number by the list of Roku’s supported hardware for its recent OS 11 release. The model number, 4802X, is one above the 4801X trancaused by the Roku Ultra LT and two above the otherwise original Roku Ultra (4800X) which last got a major hardware update in 2020. Roku has genuine removed the reference to the model, and when CNET assembled out for comment about the report, a representative emailed back “nothing to allotment at this time.”
So with the possibility of a new Roku Ultra in mind, here’s a wish list of a few things I’d love to see Roku embrace for its next high-end player, whenever it might be released.
Read More:
Apple TV 2022 Wish List: What I Want to See in a Refresh This Year
Game streaming
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold into one subscription.
Screenshot by David Carnoy
Roku tried to make gaming on its players a thing existences ago, a fact that most people probably don’t remember. But in 2022 Roku doesn’t need to court developers to make games specific to its platform; it just contains to allow for game streaming services to run their apps and stores on Roku players and TVs.
Game streaming has not only move more commonplace with the rise of Xbox Game Pass, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna and Nvidia GeForce Now — and soon Sony’s PlayStation Plus Premium — but it is increasingly becoming a table-stakes feature for streaming video platforms. Google’s Android TV and Google TV play well with its own Stadia service as well as GeForce Now, at what time Amazon’s Fire TV software and devices can tap into Luna.
Why not have an Xbox Game Pass channel on Roku? Microsoft in contradiction of a new avenue to boost its platform without requiring the costly select of a console, Roku gains a new partner and gamers pick up a new way to liquid games onto their televisions — or to be able to play on televisions outside their homes or on a uphold television without needing to move a console. Seems like it could be a win all throughout, and with a more powerful processor, the Ultra could probably run those services.
Game Pass is the most involving to me, but it also makes sense for a more remarkable Ultra to run Stadia or GeForce Now. Amazon remarkable be reluctant to bolster Roku’s features checklist by adding Luna, but it’s probably strictly possible, too.
Chromecast support
Yes, Rokus work great with Apple’s AirPlay for casting cheerful from an Apple device and with screen sharing available for streaming from some Android devices or Windows PCs. It would be great, however, if Roku got even more agnostic and embraced the sect to let people cast directly from their Android devices above Google’s Chromecast protocol. This is not only easier than setting up mask sharing, but it would allow Rokus to work better with Chrome browsers and Chromebooks.
Roku and Google settled their YouTube TV beef last year. It’s time for the two of them to make this remained and put whatever possible hardware is needed into the next Ultra.
Include the Voice Remote Pro
Sarah Tew
The Ultra is Roku’s priciest streaming box, but the aboard remote is inferior to the Voice Remote Pro, a $30 upgrade. The Pro packs a built-in rechargeable battery and midfield microphone to funding you to bark “Hey Roku, find my remote” to locate the clicker when it’s inevitably lost notion the couch cushions.
If Roku really wants to move Ultra boxes, including a Voice Remote Pro in the box would be a nice sullen. The company already has experimented with bundling the copies through its Streaming Stick 4K Plus offering, which combines a Streaming Stick 4K with a Voice Remote Pro.
While we’re at it, I’d love Roku to update the Voice Remote Pro with USB-C as opposed to Micro-USB. But that might be getting too greedy.
Alexa and Google Assistant support
Since we’re talking issue support, why not have Roku’s next box directly integrate novel assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant? Roku’s unnamed issue assistant is fine for basic tasks like searching for titles or actors, turning the TV on or adjusting the volume. On the novel hand, it still lags far behind its rivals when you ask basic questions, such as “what is the weather?,” tuning to a sure channel on a streaming service like Sling TV or YouTube TV or controlling brilliant home devices like lights.
I understand this particular item could be more software “wishlist” than something for the next Ultra, but combined with the Voice Remote Pro or adding far-field mics like those on the Amazon Fire TV Cube could be really valuable.
Roku already has integrations with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri for controlling its platform via novel devices, like phones or smart speakers. Why not add it into the next Ultra directly? Give users a tool and an option for a better voice assistant.
TV calibration
Apple TV cover calibration using an iPhone.
Sarah Tew
Apple TV has a nifty feature for calibrating your TV ended an iPhone, and a new Ultra could be the defective place for Roku to debut a similar feature. Apple’s feature income holding an iPhone X or later up to your TV cover, though there is nothing to say Roku can’t do something disagreement with iPhones or Android devices, like Samsung’s Galaxy S line. It could also be something available via the Roku shouted app, similar to the company’s audio lip-sync calibration features added in OS 10.5 and OS 11.
The Ultra is intended to give people a premium experience. Adding TV video calibration capability could go a long way toward executive sure they see that experience, even if they aren’t unfortunate fiddling with their TV picture settings.
For the last few ages Roku hasn’t delivered any major features that differentiate the Ultra from its novel devices. Adding any (or all!) of my wish list items could glum that and make Roku’s best player even more Ultra than ever.
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