The best streaming device for 2025 to make the most of your TV viewing experience

Integrated live TV guide: Yes | Dolby(s): Atmos, Vision | Wi-Fi situation: Wi-Fi 6 (more than sufficient for most users) | Game situation: Some casual games but limited overall | Rechargeable remote: Yes | Supports Apple AirPlay: Yes

Roku's secret sauce has always been simplicity. If you want a streamer that's both easy to learn and easy to use, the Roku Ultra is without question the top pick. (That said, there are a couple other Roku options worth considering as well; see below.)

On the feature front, the 2024 model ticks all the important boxes: 4K, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and Atmos — all the stuff to ensure a crisp, colorful picture and the best possible sound (with a compatible TV and/or soundbar, that is). Beyond the usual assortment of streaming apps, you'll find fun animated screensavers and some free casual games (mostly of the Pac-Man and Tetris variety). The Backdrops feature adds an extensive art-gallery screensaver similar to what you'd find on Samsung's The Frame TVs, but at no extra charge.

Mostly, though, it's about the interface: Roku employs a simple — dare I say happy? — grid of tiles, three or four across (your choice) and easy to rearrange by tapping the "star" button on the remote. There's also a simple sidebar menu for quick access to things like search, live TV and watch recommendations. (Too many options? You can customize that menu to show only the ones you want.)

The Ultra offers hands-free voice controls available as well. You can say "Hey Roku" and then speak a variety of commands: turn on the TV, launch Netflix, watch a particular movie or even find the remote if it's missing. (There's a find-it button on the box itself as well, just in case the clicker is buried in the couch cushions and unable to hear you.)

Speaking of which, the Voice Remote Pro borders on perfection, with an intuitive layout, four app shortcut buttons, a user-programmable button and a rechargeable battery. I especially like that it's now backlit as well. (Alas, the wired-headphone jack is gone; now you'll have to rely solely on using the Roku app on your phone for Private Listening.)  

Another Ultra 2024 upgrade: Support for Wi-Fi 6, a newer version of the wireless technology that makes streaming possible. Ideally you'll have a Wi-Fi router to match, helping ensure the strongest, fastest signal.

If there's a weak spot here, it's gaming. There are a smattering of remote-based casual games, but nothing compared to the Apple TV 4K, which supports Apple Arcade, or Amazon Fire TV 4K Max, which lets you play actual Xbox games — without an Xbox (but with a subscription). 

Because I prize simplicity above all else, I'm sticking with Roku. And you can get the same great interface for less money: The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is half the price and nearly as capable. (Mostly it's the remote that's missing a few features, like a locator and rechargeable battery.)

There's also the Roku Streambar, a small soundbar with most of the same features as the Streaming Stick 4K. I've found this a welcome addition to our smaller bedroom TV, which has a sluggish interface and poor built-in speakers.

Worth noting as well: Many modern TVs — including models from TCL, Westinghouse and Roku proper — come with Roku already baked in. Whether you go that route or add something like the Ultra, you're getting the best of all possible streaming solutions.

Integrated live TV guide: Yes | Dolby(s): Atmos, Vision | Wi-Fi situation: Wi-Fi 6E (one step down from state of the art) | Game situation: Unrivaled; supports Amazon Appstore, Luna, Xbox Game Pass | Rechargeable remote: No | Supports Apple AirPlay: No

Listing for $60 but regularly discounted, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a premium streamer with a budget price. It offers fast Wi-Fi, robust smart-home integration (courtesy of Alexa) and some amazingly good gaming options. There's just one thing keeping it from the tippy-top of our best list — and it's something you might be willing to overlook.

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max (hereafter just "4K Max") is, true to its name, a stick. A fairly big one at that, meaning you might need the included HDMI adapter cable if it won't fit in any of your TV's HDMI ports. (That was the case for me; my TV has recessed ports.) Either way, it stays hidden behind the TV rather than sitting out, which I consider a decor win. The Apple, Google and Roku streamers are decidedly visible devices.

Setup is largely uncomplicated, but this 2nd-generation 4K Max includes a less-detailed print guide than its predecessor. If you want instructions beyond basic installation, you'll have to scan a QR code. Why, Amazon, why?

The 4K Max packs some impressive hardware, including Dolby Atmos and Vision, Wi-Fi 6E, 16GB of storage and the Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced. I'm not sure what's "enhanced" about the remote, though, given that it runs on non-rechargeable AAA batteries and doesn't support hands-free Alexa: You have to press a button to use voice commands. The layout is a little crowded, too, with a couple buttons that don't immediately make sense. (When do I choose Menu instead of Settings? And what's the button with the two overlapping squares?) 

However: Gamers, this is the streamer for you. The 4K Max supports a wide range of games not only from Amazon's Appstore, but also from Amazon's Luna cloud gaming service and Xbox Game Pass Unlimited. The latter two require a subscription and controller (I used the one from my Xbox), but then effectively give you a console gaming experience without the console. It's pretty amazing — though as with all cloud-gaming services, you need fast internet and a fast router for an optimal experience.

Another Fire TV Stick advantage: seamless integration with Alexa-compatible cameras and other devices. For example, I can say, "Alexa, show me the front door" to get a big-screen look at my porch video feed. (There's even a picture-in-picture option available so I can keep that feed live while watching a show — very cool.)

The 4K Max is currently the only Fire TV streamer that supports Ambient Experience, which is basically a fancy screensaver with lots of choices: animations, impressionist paintings, personal photos and so on. It can also overlay a clock, weather bug and various widgets, same as those on Amazon Echo Show devices. In this way it's a bit more versatile than Roku's similar Backdrops feature.

So why isn't the 4K Max our top pick among streamers? For me it boils down to Amazon's aggressively unintuitive and ad-heavy interface. Maybe I'm spoiled by the simplicity of Roku, but I constantly struggled to navigate the Fire TV OS. It's a jumble of icons, apps and movie/TV tiles, all of them jammed together and bereft of any logical organization. Ironically, if you open Amazon's own Prime Video app, you get a modified version of the same interface — which just leads to more confusion.

Meanwhile, ads seem to show up more and more: in the top carousel, in the "Amazon collection" default screensaver and now in Prime Video content as well. This is, of course, one way Amazon is able to sell the 4K Max for the price it does.

Speaking of which, the 4K Max is one of five streamers in the Fire TV lineup. Three of them cost slightly less, but assuming you're able to find this one on sale, it's well worth the extra few bucks. On the top end, the Fire TV Cube adds an Ethernet port and hands-free Alexa, but much pricier.

No, the Fire TV 4K Max is the smart choice of the lot. Assuming you can live with the ads and interface, there's no other streamer that delivers so much horsepower for such a relatively small investment.

Integrated live TV guide: No | Dolby(s): Atmos, Vision | Wi-Fi situation: Wi-Fi 6 (more than sufficient for most users) | Game situation: Optional Apple Arcade subscription | Rechargeable remote: Yes | Supports Apple AirPlay: Yes, obviously

Much as I love my iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch, I'm no Apple apologist; I'll tell you right now that I struggled with whether the Apple TV 4K belonged on this "best" list. In the end I think it does, but primarily for those who want to extend all that admittedly wonderful Apple integration to their TV. This streaming box fares well on that front, but it's problematic in other areas. 

Starting with: Apple's minimal printed instructions, which don't even mention charging the remote. Why is that important? Because although there's an LED embedded in the front, it doesn't light up when you plug in a USB-C cable. It doesn't light up while the remote is charging or when it's done, either. This is beyond comprehension and borderline user-hostile. I thought mine was broken at first.

Thankfully, setup is easy enough in most other respects: Just hold your iPhone near the box for a few seconds, then tap "Set up Apple TV" when it appears onscreen. A few prompts later and you should be connected to your home Wi-Fi network and off to the races. 

That said, when I connected the Apple TV 4K to my Roku TV Pro Series, a pop-up asked if I wanted to enable Dolby Vision. I said yes, knowing the TV supports that particular brand of HDR. Just one problem: The Apple TV's implementation of Dolby Vision locks out other settings; I couldn't disable motion smoothing in the Roku's settings menu. It was set to "low," but still noticeable. In the end I switched over to HDR 10+, which gave me more control.

Indeed, there's a learning curve if you're new to this streamer. In place of the typical Home button, the remote has a "TV" button. You press it once to load the Apple TV app (which is not to be confused with the Apple TV+ streaming service — but will be), then again to load the Home screen, which is where you find your installed apps — all of which lack text labels unless you scroll over them. You can press and hold the TV button to access the Apple TV 4K's Control Center, a miniature version of the one on your iPhone. But if you want to access Settings, it's back to the Home screen and look for the corresponding icon.

Again, I'm a longtime iPhone user, very familiar with Apple's UI, and yet I struggled to learn and navigate the Apple TV. It's not insurmountable, just not nearly as intuitive as you'd expect. On the plus side, you won't find ads anywhere (except for Apple TV+ content, natch).

You also won't find a "free TV" guide or any ad-supported TV channels, hundreds of which are now woven into the Fire TV and Roku streamers. If you want that kind of thing here, you'll have to rely on apps like Pluto or Tubi. (There's a rather misleading "top Free" section in the App Store, which includes the likes of HBO Max, Peacock and YouTube TV. Yes, the apps themselves are free, but the subscriptions they require definitely aren't.)

If you're into gaming, you have some great options here: Mirroring your iPhone or iPad to play on the big screen or subscribing to Apple Arcade for some decidedly TV-friendly titles. You can even pair an Xbox or similar gamepad controller for games that benefit from one.

And speaking of integration: pop your AirPods in your ears and the Apple TV 4K immediately offers to pair them. Load an Apple Fitness workout session (subscription required) and you'll see workout metrics sent from your Apple Watch. Pretty cool.

I especially like the Apple TV's dazzling "aerials" screensavers, mini-movies that fly you over cities and landscapes, dive you underwater and more. It can also pull from your iCloud photo library, effectively turning your TV into a giant photo frame. 

Siri is on hand as well for voice commands; one great unsung feature is "What did they say?" If you ever miss a bit of dialogue, say that and the video will rewind 10 seconds, play again with subtitles turned on, then continue with subtitles off. The only downside is you have to reach for the remote to do that; Siri may be on hand, but she's not hands-free.

So, yeah, there's a lot of good stuff here, but once again I think you need to be an Apple user to make the most of it. And even as one myself, I'm inclined to stick with Roku for now.

Integrated live TV guide: Yes | Dolby(s): Atmos, Vision | Wi-Fi situation: Wi-Fi 5 (outdated by today's standard) | Game situation: Google Play Store, PS Remote Play | Rechargeable remote: No | Supports Apple AirPlay: No

Like the Apple TV 4K, Google's new streamer has some notable flaws, again leading me to wonder about its place on this list. I'm giving it one for the people accustomed (and/or partial) to a Google-centric interface, which I think has improved recently. Indeed, the UI here is less busy than Amazon's and more intuitive than Apple's. It even beats Roku's in one area.

Unlike Google's earlier Chromecast streamers (which, it should be noted, were half the price), this one is actually a box. That means it doesn't hide away behind your TV, but rather sits in front of it. There's a button on the back (inconveniently recessed, I should note) that will make your remote beep loudly, should it ever succumb to the couch cushions.

The slim oval Streamer does afford room for an Ethernet port, something that could prove useful in Wi-Fi-challenged homes. But it's disappointing that it employs Wi-Fi 5 instead of the newer Wi-Fi 6 spec, which is at least the baseline for every other device here. While chances are good you'll enjoy perfectly smooth streaming, I'd rather have the latest standard for future-proofing.

Setup is fairly easy, with the required Google Home app doing most of the heavy lifting. However, because that app is designed for all manner of smart-home operation, not just adjusting or controlling the Streamer, it feels convoluted. Everything is location-based, even though you're looking at the Devices screen.

I'm definitely not a fan of Google's remote design. Although it has appreciably large buttons, it puts the control pad at the very top (right where your thumb doesn't naturally fall). There's no dedicated play/pause button, nor is there a Menu button; you have to remember to long-press the Home button if you want to access settings while watching something. The remote isn't backlit, either, nor is it rechargeable.

The Streamer has a fast, responsive interface, with apps that load quickly and an impressive selection of live channels all neatly organized into one guide. I especially like Google's home-screen implementation of "Continue Watching," which makes it easy to spot and resume your most recently watched movies and shows (for some streaming services, at least — not all are supported). Roku offers something similar, but makes you navigate to a separate menu to find it.

That said, the UI can be annoying in places — starting with the presence of ads. I don't mind TV or movie ads on a home-screen carousel, but I didn't enjoy seeing the likes of Hilton and Taco Bell in that mix. What's more, when viewing the Library screen, all my past purchases — and there are dozens — reside in a single, horizontally scrolling carousel, a huge pain to navigate; they should be organized in rows and columns.

As for Google's widely touted Gemini AI, it's a mixed bag. I'll start with the good: It can generate custom screensavers based on your prompts. (Example: "Relaxing ocean view at sunset with a snow-capped mountain in the distance.") This works really well; it's fun to play around with.

Now the bad: The Streamer offers AI-powered summaries ("What it's about") and reviews ("What people are saying") of certain content, but the data feels very abbreviated and navigation is clunky.

Meanwhile, when I asked Google Assistant — which you can invoke only by pressing the mic button on the remote; it's not hands-free — to "show me some TV shows about football," it came back with "Popular soccer shows about Television". Um, what? And when I asked it for "poker games" in hopes of finding something in the Google Play Store app, it produced only watchable content.

Speaking of games, while you do have access to oodles of them courtesy of that app, it's not clear which ones might be compatible with the Streamer. Unlike Apple with Arcade, Google doesn't seem to be pushing any kind of gaming here. (There is a PS Remote Play app available, ostensibly to let you play PlayStation 4 and 5 games remotely, but I wasn't able to test it.)

While I wouldn't recommend the Google TV Streamer over, say, the Roku Ultra, I do think it's a worthwhile choice for Android users and/or anyone already familiar with the Android TV/Google TV interface. It's noticeably faster than its Chromecast predecessors and easier to navigate than Amazon and Apple streamers.