The king stays the king, though, because little changed - and only improvements came with.
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is a small, but noteworthy, upgrade over the Streaming Stick Plus it replaces. The best streaming devices you can find today
With these streaming services you can check out the best Christmas TV episodes and specials on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Peacock and more. It's faster than the normal Fire TV Stick 4K, and costs only $5 more. Oh, and the latest entry to this list is the new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. It's what we needed, and what tvOS deserves.
Then there's the new Apple TV 4K (2021), a super-speedy update with a new remote with a clickable direction-pad.
On top of that, Android TV app support, via Google TV, means you don't need to worry about missing out on the latest streaming services. And the new Chromecast also streams in 4K, with HDR and Dolby Vision. Its remote enables you to put down your phone already and focus on what you're watching. We also really like the new Chromecast with Google TV. Oh, and you can rearrange the heck out of the Roku home screen, putting all of apps in your order of preference, while the Fire TV just lets you control that top row and makes you go to another screen for the rest. Trust me, as someone who uses at least one device from every streaming platform, if you can limit yourself to just one device, your entertainment cabinet or counter will look a lot nicer. Practically every app is on the Roku Channel Store, meaning you'll probably never say "my favorite show isn't on here!" And it's finally got Dolby Vision, which it was missing when it was just the Streaming Stick Plus. The first is that Roku is the best platform when it comes to streaming media. We love the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, and recommend it as the best streaming device to friends and colleagues, for two simple reasons. While Netflix and Hulu are ubiquitous, across all devices, some other apps are only available on Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV. Oh, and if you want the Apple TV shows and services, but don't want the to pay the higher price for their streaming boxes, good news: the Apple TV app just rolled out to Vizio Smart TVs. Some of us at Tom's Guide own multiple entries from this list of the best streaming devices, to see how they evolve over time.
The new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is another recent entry to this list, following the Apple TV 4K (2021). If you want a new streaming TV with built-in smarts, check out our Super Bowl TV deals, which include Roku TV, Fire TV and Android TV options. Oh and don't worry about Roku's YouTube problem, it's been settled. It's our top pick for many reasons, and Roku's streamlined app-first OS is one of them. Our pick for very best streaming device overall is the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, an update to a previous model that improved performance and added Dolby Vision.