Roku Streaming Stick (3600) vs Roku Ultra (4800)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| RokuStreaming Stick (3600) | RokuUltra (4800) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | April 2016 | October 2020 |
| Video and audio | ||
| Resolution | 1080p | 4K (better) |
| HDR | None | HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG (better) |
| Dolby Atmos | – | Yes |
| Video | Up to 1920 × 1080 at 30 fps, or 720p at 60 fps; interface renders at 1280 × 720 (Roku's exact Briscoe/3600X developer row and footnote) | Up to 4K at 60 fps; Roku's model-4800 guide specifies an HDCP 2.2 HDMI connection for 4K |
| HDR | – | Roku's current Benjamin/4800X developer row lists HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG. An older model-4800 support document also claims HDR10+, which the developer row omits; HDR10+ is left out of the main field pending reconciliation |
| Audio | – | Dolby Atmos with compatible content and sound system; TechRadar lists AAC, MP3, WMA, FLAC, PCM, AC3/EAC3, DTS and ALAC support |
| Performance | ||
| Software | Roku OS | Roku OS |
| Chip details | Arm Cortex-A7 quad-core at 800 MHz; OpenGL ES 2.0 (Roku's exact Briscoe/3600X developer row) | Quad-core processor (Roku launch announcement); Roku's Benjamin/4800X developer row identifies Arm Cortex-A55 |
| Memory | 512 MB (Roku's exact Briscoe/3600X developer row) | 2 GB (Roku's Benjamin/4800X developer row) |
| Software and services | Launched with Roku OS 7.1 and Hotel and Dorm Connect for browser-authenticated networks (Roku announcement reproduced by 9to5Toys); apps and features vary by region and software version | Roku OS; OS 9.4 was announced alongside the player. AirPlay 2 and HomeKit were added after launch, as confirmed in Tom's Guide's review; apps and features vary by country and software version |
| Connections | ||
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 4 | Wi-Fi 5 |
| Ethernet | No | Yes |
| Voice remote | No | Yes |
| Ports | HDMI plug, Micro-USB power input and reset button; USB cable and mains adapter supplied | HDMI, USB, Ethernet and power input (model-4800 Quick Start Guide); no microSD slot (both reviews) |
| Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Dual-band MIMO; 802.11n (Roku announcement and TechRadar) | Dual-band 802.11ac (TechRadar); Bluetooth support and up to 50% greater wireless range than the prior model (Roku's launch claim) |
| Smart home | – | Controllable through compatible Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant devices; AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support with updated software |
| Remote | Original point-anywhere remote uses AAA batteries and has navigation, playback and app shortcut buttons; voice search and headphone listening use the separate mobile app (TechRadar) | Original voice remote has TV power, volume and mute, headphone jack, two personal shortcuts and lost-remote finder; two AA batteries. Later rechargeable-remote bundles are not separate player hardware here |
| Design | ||
| Type | Stick | Box |
| Power | – | Supplied mains power adaptor |
| Size | 3.25 × 0.9 × 0.5 in, length × width × depth (TechRadar) | 4.9 × 4.9 × 0.9 in (Tom's Guide) |
| In the box | – | Ultra player, voice remote, headphones, two AA batteries, Premium High Speed HDMI cable and power adaptor |
More comparisons
- Roku Streaming Stick (2025) vs Roku Streaming Stick (3600)
- Roku Streaming Stick (2025) vs Roku Ultra (4800)
- Roku Streaming Stick Plus (2025) vs Roku Ultra (4800)
- Roku Streaming Stick (3600) vs Roku Streaming Stick Plus (2025)
- Roku Streaming Stick (3600) vs Roku Ultra (2024)
- Roku Ultra (2024) vs Roku Ultra (4800)
- Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) vs Roku Ultra (4800)
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K vs Roku Ultra (4800)
- Roku Streaming Stick (3600) vs Roku Streaming Stick 4K
- Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) vs Roku Ultra (4800)
- Roku Express 4K (3940) vs Roku Ultra (4800)
- Roku Express 4K (3940) vs Roku Streaming Stick (3600)
- Roku Ultra (4660) vs Roku Ultra (4800)
- Roku Ultra (4640) vs Roku Ultra (4800)
- Amazon Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen) vs Roku Ultra (4800)
- NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro vs Roku Ultra (4800)

