Roku Ultra Streaming Device HD/4K/HDR/Dolby Vision with Dolby Atmos, Bluetooth Streaming, Roku Voice Remote with Headphone Jack, includes Premium HDMI Cable Review (2026)

Who should still buy the older Roku Ultra

This is the 2020 Roku Ultra, model number 4800R, and it remains a sensible pick for anyone building a home theater around a receiver and speakers rather than a TV's built-in sound, since it decodes and passes through both Dolby Vision video and Dolby Atmos audio. It suits shoppers who specifically want the private-listening headphone jack on the remote, a feature not every current streaming remote still includes, and anyone comfortable with AA batteries instead of a rechargeable remote. Buyers focused purely on having the newest hardware, fastest Wi-Fi standard, or a backlit rechargeable remote are better matched with the current Roku Ultra generation.

What HD, 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision and Atmos actually mean here

The device outputs up to 4K resolution with HDR and Dolby Vision for picture, which covers the color and contrast range most current streaming apps support, and it decodes Dolby Atmos object-based audio for passing through to a compatible AV receiver or soundbar. Bluetooth streaming lets the box send audio to Bluetooth headphones or speakers directly, separate from the remote's own headphone jack, which uses the box's Wi-Fi connection rather than pairing over Bluetooth. The box ships with a premium HDMI cable in the box, which is a small but real convenience since many streaming devices leave buyers to source their own cable for a 4K-capable connection.

Setting it up and living with it in a media rack

Setup follows Roku's usual pattern of plugging into an HDMI port, connecting to Wi-Fi, and signing in through the Roku app or a browser code, with the voice remote pairing automatically over the box's own wireless link rather than needing line of sight for every function. The remote's headphone jack is the standout daily feature reviewers and owners return to, letting one person watch late at night through wired headphones without disturbing anyone else in the house, and the voice search and shortcut buttons speed up jumping into specific streaming apps. Because it predates newer Wi-Fi 6 hardware, a household with many connected devices competing for bandwidth may notice slightly less consistent throughput than the current generation offers.

How the 2020 Ultra compares with newer streaming boxes

The clearest comparison is Roku's own current Ultra, which adds a rechargeable Voice Remote Pro, HDR10 plus support, and Wi-Fi 6 on top of the same Dolby Vision and Atmos playback, and it scores higher in this guide as a result. NVIDIA's Shield Android TV pushes further into gaming and Google Assistant integration at a higher price, while Amazon's Fire TV Cube leans into hands-free Alexa control. Against all of them, this older Ultra still holds its own on core streaming quality and remains a lower-cost way to get Dolby Vision and Atmos into a home theater setup without paying for the newest remote hardware.

Verdict and who should spend a bit more

Scoring an 8.6 out of 10 overall with a 9 out of 10 for fit, this Roku Ultra earns its place for home theater builders who want reliable 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos streaming plus a genuinely useful headphone jack remote, all at a lower price than the current model. Anyone who specifically wants Wi-Fi 6, HDR10 plus, or a rechargeable backlit remote should put the extra money toward the newer Roku Ultra Ultimate Streaming Player instead, since that model carries all the same core strengths with more current hardware underneath.

Frequently asked questions