Roku is giving its best streaming player an overdue update. On Thursday, Roku announced that its premium Roku Ultra now includes the Roku Voice Remote Pro. Ever since it launched in 2020, the Roku Ultra has shipped with the standard voice remote. Starting today, it comes with the Voice Remote Pro in the box, but it still costs $99.99.
Roku’s Voice Remote Pro retails for $30, so if you were in the market for a 4K player anyway, this is a solid deal. Just make sure you get the new bundle and not the old one.
Roku Ultra now ships with Voice Remote Pro
It is worth noting that this is the same Roku Ultra that the company launched back in 2020. The hardware itself has not been updated. The same is true for the Roku Voice Remote Pro. This is the same remote that the company debuted last April. The only change here is that the Pro remote now comes in the box at no additional charge.
The Pro remote features two significant upgrades over Roku’s previous remotes. For one, it has a rechargeable battery that lasts for two months on a single charge. Never having to buy more batteries for the streaming player remote is a massive win. You can also talk to the Pro remote. Just say “Hey Roku” and a command to turn your TV on, change the volume, rewind or fast-forward, and search for content. You can also say “Hey Roku, find my remote” to make the remote emit a chime in case you lose it in the couch cushions.
Chris Larson, VP of Retail Strategy at Roku, shared the following statement:
At Roku, we are committed to providing our users with the best possible streaming experience with a focus on choice, value and ease of use. With the release of the Roku Ultra and Roku Voice Remote Pro bundle we’re adding even more features to our most powerful player while keeping the price under $100, ensuring that high performance is readily accessible. With a click of a button or by using the remote’s hands-free voice commands, Roku Ultra users can access the content they want, set shortcuts for favorite channels, or find a lost remote without moving from the couch. The best just keeps getting better.
What to watch on Roku
If you’re wondering what to watch on your Roku Ultra, we have some good news for you. The Roku Channel has hundreds of free channels as well as thousands of free shows and movies. Here are the 26 free movies the service is adding this month:
- Initiation
- Twist
- The Revenant
- Con Air
- Midway
- Parker
- Drive
- Kingdom of Heaven
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Moneyball
- The Sisters Brothers
- Judy
- Pearl Harbor
- Black Swan
- Panic Room
- The Fault in Our Stars
- A Walk in the Clouds
- Two Weeks Notice
- Dear John
- The Proposal
- Like Mike
- Yogi Bear
- Life As We Know It
- Holmes & Watson
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
- Good Morning Vietnam
Roku adds tons of free TV shows and movies every month, and even if you don’t have a Roku streaming player, you can access the service in your browser.
More Roku coverage: For even more Roku news, visit our Roku guide.
