Roku Streaming Stick (2025) UK Review: HD Bargain

In a world where streaming devices keep getting pricier and more complex, Roku’s new £29.99 HD-only Streaming Stick asks a compelling question: what if you just want something simple that works?

This pocket-sized streamer transforms the clunky old Express box into a sleek stick, adds a voice remote that used to cost extra, and delivers surprisingly good performance despite modest specs.

It’s Roku’s cheapest ticket into their famously easy-to-use ecosystem.

But there’s a catch. With just £10 separating this from the 4K-capable Plus model, you’re left wondering – is saving a tenner now worth potential regret when you upgrade your TV later?

After several weeks of testing, I’ve found the answer isn’t straightforward. For second TVs, travel use, or committed HD-only setups, it’s brilliant. For everyone else? That’s where things get complicated.

Who Is The Roku Streaming Stick For?

With Smart TVs getting more capable and streaming services constantly expanding, it’s fair to ask why anyone would spend £29.99 on a dedicated streaming device.

Yet Roku’s new Streaming Stick (HD) makes a compelling case for itself in an increasingly crowded market.

Roku has built a solid reputation in the streaming world, particularly in the US where they regularly compete with Amazon for market leadership.

In the UK, they’ve been steadily growing their presence with devices that prioritise simplicity and reliability over flashy gimmicks.

The new Roku Streaming Stick (HD) is part of Roku’s freshly updated 2025 lineup, replacing the boxy Roku Express (from 2019!) with a proper stick format that plugs directly into your HDMI port.

At £29.99, it sits alongside the Streaming Stick Plus (£39.99), which offers a similar core experience but adds 4K and HDR support.

With just £10 separating these two models, the HD version occupies a specific niche. So, who should consider it?

If you’ve got an HD-only television that you don’t plan to upgrade soon, the standard Streaming Stick makes perfect sense. There’s simply no benefit to paying extra for 4K capabilities your screen can’t display.

This makes it ideal for secondary TVs in bedrooms, kitchens or guest rooms where 4K isn’t a priority.

Frequent travellers will also find real value here. The stick’s compact design slips easily into a bag, letting you access all your streaming services in hotel rooms and holiday rentals without the hassle of logging in on unfamiliar devices.

Since many of these TVs are still HD-only, you’re not missing out on 4K content anyway.

However, if you’re buying this for your main living room TV, I’d recommend considering the Streaming Stick Plus instead, even if your current television is HD-only.

When you eventually upgrade to a 4K set (which seems increasingly inevitable as prices continue to fall), you won’t need to replace your streaming device as well.

As for why you’d choose a Roku over just using your TV’s built-in apps – the difference is significant, especially with older televisions. Many Smart TV interfaces are frustratingly sluggish, with outdated apps that manufacturers often abandon after a few years.

Roku’s interface, by contrast, is consistently responsive, regularly updated, and remarkably straightforward to navigate.

Unlike your TV’s operating system, which might start dropping support for key streaming services, Roku maintains compatibility with all the major platforms (not forever, mind you – but certainly longer than most Smart TVs).

This ensures your streaming experience stays fresh and functional long after your TV manufacturer has moved on to newer models.

Setting Up The Roku Streaming Stick

Getting the new Roku Streaming Stick (HD) up and running is a pretty straightforward, with a few minor quirks worth noting along the way.

What’s In The Box

The (very) compact packaging contains the stick itself, a USB-C power cable, and the voice remote with batteries already installed.

The included voice remote is an upgrade for anyone coming from the older Express models, which shipped with Roku’s basic infrared remote.

During my testing, I found the voice search function genuinely useful for finding content without tedious on-screen typing. The remote also includes TV power and volume controls.

I particularly appreciated the side-mounted volume buttons, which make adjustments easy even in a darkened room. It’s a thoughtful design touch that shows Roku understands how people actually use these devices.

One thing to note, however – getting the volume controls working requires a bit of configuration through Roku’s settings menu.

In my testing, it worked with my Sky Glass, but refused to work with a specific Metz TV. If you’re using a separate soundbar, you might also find these buttons less useful, as the remote isn’t designed to control external audio equipment.

The remote comes with four pre-programmed shortcut buttons for streaming services – in my case, Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Apple TV+. While convenient if you subscribe to these services, it’s worth noting that you can’t customise these buttons to launch your own preferred apps.

Power Options

One welcome improvement with this new model is its power efficiency. Unlike previous Roku devices, which practically demanded a wall socket, the Streaming Stick (HD) runs happily from your TV’s USB port.

This makes for a much cleaner setup, with no extra cables dangling behind your telly. It’s particularly useful if your TV is wall-mounted and power sockets are at a premium.

There is a small trade-off to consider, though. When powered via your TV’s USB port, the stick completely shuts down when you turn off your television.

This means a brief 10-15 second boot-up period when you switch on again. I found this minor delay perfectly acceptable, but if you’re the impatient type, you might prefer using a wall socket for constant power.

Speaking of wall sockets – there’s no power adapter included in the box. If your TV doesn’t have a USB port or you prefer the always-on approach, you’ll need to supply your own USB power adapter. A bit cheeky, but not a major issue for most users.

Placement and Connectivity

The stick design means you simply plug it directly into your TV’s HDMI port – much tidier than the old Express boxes with their separate HDMI cables.

The compact size (just 3.7 x 0.8 x 0.45 inches) meant it fit easily behind my television without blocking adjacent ports. If you need an HDMI extender, though, you’ll have to buy one yourself, as it’s not supplied in the box.

One potential weakness worth highlighting is the WiFi connectivity. The Streaming Stick (HD) uses the older 802.11b/g/n dual-band standard rather than the newer 802.11ac (WiFi 5) found in the Plus model.

Having used the stick for several weeks, this didn’t cause any noticeable issues in my house – HD streams loaded quickly and played without buffering.

However, if you live in a particularly large home with thick walls, or your router sits far from your television, this older WiFi standard could become problematic.

The lack of 4K streaming does reduce bandwidth requirements compared to the Plus model, but the connectivity still isn’t as robust.

Unlike the previous Express 4K, there’s also no option for Ethernet connectivity via an adapter, so you’re entirely dependent on WiFi. Something to consider if your home network is patchy.

Account Setup

Getting your Roku account configured is straightforward but requires a few steps. You’ll need to create or sign into a Roku account during the initial setup – there’s no way around this, as the device won’t function without one.

Having used several Roku devices over the years, I was pleased to find that the stick automatically downloaded all my previously installed apps. What it didn’t do, however, was remember my logins for individual streaming services.

So yes, I still had to log in separately for Netflix, Disney+, ITVX and all the rest. A bit tedious, but thankfully a one-time process.

For new Roku users, be aware that setting up an account requires payment details even if you don’t plan to make any purchases, which is slightly irritating if you just want to try the device.

Using The Roku Streaming Stick

After spending more than a month with the Roku Streaming Stick (HD), I’ve got a good sense of its strengths and limitations.

The real test of any budget streaming device isn’t its specs sheet – it’s how it handles everyday streaming tasks and whether it delivers a frustration-free experience.

Performance

I was fully prepared for the Streaming Stick (HD) to be somewhat sluggish compared to its pricier 4K siblings. After all, the specs don’t lie – it has half the RAM of the Plus model (512MB vs 1GB) (but seems to be using the same processor – Roku tend to be tight-lipped when it comes to hardware specs).

Surprisingly, though, I didn’t notice much lag at all during my testing, at least not within Roku’s native interface and menus. Everything felt responsive, with apps launching promptly and menus scrolling smoothly without frustrating delays.

Even traditionally resource-hungry apps like Disney+ and ITVX (which I always use as torture tests for streaming devices) performed admirably. I don’t know what sorcery Roku managed to pull here, but the reactiveness and speed were, all in all, surprisingly good, especially for a device at this price level.

Is it as butter-smooth as the premium Streaming Stick 4K or Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max? Not quite – but at £29.99, I really can’t complain. The performance is more than adequate for everyday streaming, and I never found myself impatiently tapping the remote waiting for something to happen.

Picture quality was great – for HD, that is. Colours appeared vibrant, and the images were crisp and detailed within the constraints of 1080p resolution.

Obviously, there’s no 4K or HDR support here, so content won’t look as spectacular as it would on a higher-end device connected to a 4K television. But for standard HD viewing, it delivers exactly what you’d expect.

The Roku Interface

Roku’s interface remains one of its greatest strengths in today’s world of algorithm-driven content recommendations.

While Amazon and Google have revamped their interfaces multiple times over the years, often burying actual apps beneath layers of promotional content, Roku’s has remained refreshingly straightforward.

The main home screen is still that familiar grid of app tiles, letting you jump straight into the streaming service of your choice.

It’s clean, intuitive, and distinctly lacking in promotional content compared to some competitors – with the exception of that large banner ad on the right side of the screen, and the occasional background takeover.

This simplicity is either Roku’s greatest strength or its greatest weakness, depending on your perspective.

When I just wanted to continue watching a series on Netflix, I appreciated how I could simply press the home button, select the Netflix tile, and be watching within seconds.

No wading through sponsored content or algorithmic suggestions trying to divert my attention – just straight to what I wanted.

But if you’re more of a browser who likes discovering new content, you might find it a bit too bare-bones.

The “What to Watch” Hub

That said, Roku has made some concessions to the content discovery trend with its “What to Watch” hub, which sits just below the Home section in the main navigation bar.

This feature, which rolled out to UK users in 2023, attempts to provide personalised recommendations based on your viewing habits.

In practice, it’s a bit hit and miss. After using the stick for about a month, some of the recommendations were spot-on, while others were puzzlingly off-target.

The “Continue Watching” row within this hub is a particularly useful idea that suffers from inconsistent execution.

The premise is simple – show content you’ve started but not finished, regardless of which streaming service it’s on. When it works, it’s brilliant. I could jump right back into shows from Netflix, Disney+ and ITVX without navigating through their respective apps.

But the support is patchy. BBC iPlayer content never appeared in my Continue Watching list, and even with supported apps, it sometimes missed shows I was in the middle of watching.

There were also occasions where I’d finished a series, but it would still appear in Continue Watching as if I hadn’t watched the final episode.

Save List

The “Save List” is Roku’s take on a universal watchlist – a place to bookmark content you want to watch later. It’s a useful feature in theory, but its implementation isn’t always very useful.

The main issue is that you can only add content to your Save List when you find it through Roku’s search or see it in the recommendations.

You can’t mark anything for later viewing from within most apps themselves. So if you’re browsing through Netflix and spot something interesting, you’ll need to exit, search for it via Roku, then add it to your Save List.

It’s cumbersome enough that I rarely bothered to use it. The one exception is The Roku Channel (Roku’s own free, ad-supported streaming service), which does integrate with the Save List.

And last but not least – you can’t create different profiles or users, so the ‘What to Watch’, ‘Continue Watching’, and ‘Save List’ are all combined for the entire household, which can lead to some rather eclectic recommendations if you’ve got children or flatmates with wildly different tastes.

Global Search

Speaking of search, Roku’s global search function remains one of its strongest features.

Press the search button, type or speak what you’re looking for (with the now-bundled Voice Remote), and Roku will show you where it’s available across multiple streaming services.

The results are helpfully sorted by price, with free options (on services you subscribe to) appearing first, followed by rental and purchase options.

It’s a genuine time-saver when you’re trying to track down a specific film or show without opening half a dozen different apps, and you can even search by actor, director, etc.

I put it to the test with some obscure British comedies, and it managed to find most of them, though it occasionally missed content I knew was available on certain smaller platforms.

Apps and Channels

App support is comprehensive – Roku boasts thousands of “channels” (their term for apps), including all the heavy hitters like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and Sky’s NOW.

All the UK broadcasters are present too, with BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, and 5 all available.

One notable omission is a unified Live TV guide. While Amazon’s Fire TV offers a dedicated Live tab that aggregates live content from supported UK apps like iPlayer, ITVX and others, Roku offers no such feature.

If you want to see what’s broadcasting live, you’ll need to open each individual app and navigate to their live sections.

I’ve also noticed that Roku sometimes lags behind Fire TV when it comes to getting new apps in the UK. It’s not a dealbreaker, but worth keeping in mind if you’re the type who always wants the latest services right away.

Unlike the Fire TV, Roku no longer allows installation of “uncertified” apps – a practice they put a stop to a few years back.

There’s also no support for VPN apps, and no web browser. If these features matter to you, you might want to look elsewhere.

The Roku Smartphone App

If you’ve lost the remote or just prefer using your phone for everything, Roku’s companion app for iOS and Android is worth installing.

While not essential, it offers a few nifty features that complement the Streaming Stick nicely.

The app can turn your smartphone into an alternative remote control, which I found particularly handy when entering passwords or search terms. No more painfully clicking through an on-screen keyboard one letter at a time – just type directly on your phone instead.

The standout feature, though, has to be Private Listening. Connect any headphones to your phone, tap the headphone icon in the app, and the Roku’s audio magically routes through your mobile device.

It’s brilliant for late-night binge sessions when you don’t want to wake the household. The feature worked well in my testing, though I did notice occasional audio sync issues with certain Bluetooth headphones.

Bottom Line: Is The Roku Streaming Stick Worth It?

At £29.99, the Roku Streaming Stick (HD) delivers impressive performance in a compact, travel-friendly package. The new stick design and included voice remote mark significant improvements over the Express model it replaces.

For specific users, it’s an excellent choice. If you’re outfitting a secondary HD-only television or want a streaming device primarily for travel, this affordable stick makes perfect sense. Why pay extra for 4K capabilities you’ll never use?

However, for most people shopping for their main living room device, I’d still recommend spending the extra £10 on the Streaming Stick Plus.

The future-proofing of 4K support and better WiFi connectivity make it a wiser long-term investment, even if your current TV is HD-only.

Roku’s straightforward, uncluttered interface remains its greatest strength in a market where competitors seem determined to bombard you with recommendations and adverts.

If you value simplicity and reliability over flashy features, this budget-friendly stick delivers where it counts.

Note: The Roku Streaming Stick was supplied by the manufacturer for this review. As always, this did not influence my unbiased opinion of the product.