Best 4K Streaming Media Devices of 2025

This latest stick-style streaming player from Amazon—the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max—is among the company’s fastest, thanks to a more powerful processor, so apps launch quicker than on earlier models. It works on the newer WiFi 6 wireless standard. This model supports the HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision HDR formats, as well as Dolby Atmos audio. It comes with an Alexa voice remote, so you can find, launch, and control content or even change inputs using voice commands.

Best for: Amazon Prime members who want a speedy stick-style player.

This is the third iteration of the 4K-ready Fire TV Cube, essentially a mashup of two of Amazon’s popular Alexa-powered devices, the Fire TV streaming player and the Echo Dot smart speaker. As with its predecessors, this Fire TV Cube adds an interesting element into the mix: universal remote control capability for controlling other audio/video gear. Like earlier models, it has Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant; new features include a faster processor, which upscales lower-resolution content to 4K and HDMI 2.1 connections. It also works on the newer WiFi 6e wireless standard. There’s now also an off button that disconnects the microphones if you don’t want to leave the device in an always-listening mode.

Best for: Amazon Prime subscribers who like the Alexa voice assistant and want to be able to control other components. Amazon tends to prioritize its own content, though, when you’re looking for something to watch. Some people might find that annoying.

Apple TV has always made sense for those who already live in Apple’s world, and the newest Apple TV 4K is no exception. The good news is that the latest models, while still comparatively pricey, are less expensive than their predecessors, and you get more storage. (We tested the 128-gigabyte model; the 64-gigabyte version costs $129.) Also, they support the newer WiFi 6 wireless standard. The only real differences between the two are price and storage, and that the 128GB version has an Ethernet jack for a wired connection to your network. Both models have a faster processor and add HDR10+ support in addition to Dolby Vision. (They also support Dolby Atmos 3D sound.) The new Apple TV 4K comes with a redesigned Siri remote that has a clickpad rather than the love-it-or-hate-it touchpad found on some earlier models. A USB-C charging port replaces Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector.

Best for: Those who are already invested in the Apple ecosystem and use iTunes for content—and don’t mind paying a premium for an Apple device. With the Apple TV app now becoming available on more devices, including smart TVs and streaming players, owning an Apple TV may become less important than in the past.

The revamped Google Chromecast, now called Chromecast with Google TV, is a 4K model that supports the HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision HDR formats. It works on the older WiFi 5 wireless standard. This model comes with a voice remote that has a dedicated button for Google Assistant, the company’s voice-powered digital assistant. Earlier versions lacked a remote control, so you had to use a smartphone or tablet to control the player. Note, however, that Google is replacing all its Chromecast players with a brand new, pricier Google TV Streamer (4K) model (see below).

Best for: Anyone who likes the Google TV platform, the ability to control other compatible smart devices, and is looking for a lower-priced alternative to Google’s newest model.

As noted above, Google is phasing out its older—and cheaper—Chromecast streaming devices, replacing them with this new, faster model. The Google TV Streamer (4K) has a sleeker, slanted look, a faster processor, and support for both the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ HDR formats, plus Dolby Atmos audio. It also has twice as much memory (4 gigabytes) and four times as much storage (32GB) as the Chromecast model it replaces. While there’s an Ethernet port for a wired connection, it uses the older WiFi 5 wireless standard rather than WiFi 6, which we’d expect on a new premium model. The player now has a remote-finder feature, and it leverages Google’s AI to make program recommendations. The player can double as a hub for Google Home or Matter, enabling control of smart home products. It also supports Thread, so it can extend your WiFi network.

Best for: Those who already own Google and Matter smart home devices and who want a fast, responsive streaming player.

The Nvidia Shield TV and the pricier Nvidia Shield TV Pro, $199, both have the same fast processor and artificial intelligence upscaling that will convert lower-resolution content to 4K, plus support for Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive sound. Both systems’ smarts are based on the Android TV platform. There’s built-in support for the voice-powered Google Assistant, and they will work with Amazon Alexa devices. The Shield has a remote-finder button on the unit, a feature available only via the Shield TV app with the Pro model.

Apart from price, the main differences between the models are related to memory and storage. The Shield TV lacks the two USB slots found on the Pro but has a microUSB card slot for adding storage. It comes with 8 gigabytes of storage and 2GB of memory, rather than the 16GB/3GB in the Pro. Both models work on the older WiFi 5 wireless standard and have Ethernet jacks for connecting directly to your home network.

Best for: Gamers who also want a solid streaming player with a decent number of features and support for several digital voice assistants, but at a price lower than the Shield TV Pro model.

The Onn 4K Pro Streaming Device, from Walmart’s house brand for electronics, does well in our tests and has a lot of features—including support for Dolby Vision HDR and Atmos sound—for the price. One unusual aspect of the player is that, much like the Amazon Fire TV Cube, it includes a small speaker that can provide audible responses when the TV is off. The Onn 4K Pro uses the Google TV smart platform, so it has built-in Google Assistant (and Chromecast) and will respond to voice commands. (Both the remote and player have built-in microphones.) It uses the newer WiFi 6 wireless standard, and has an Ethernet port for a wired connection to your network, plus a USB port for connecting peripherals, such as an external hard drive or game controller. It supports WiFi 6. The device also has a lost-remote finder feature; just push a button on the unit and the remote control will chirp.

Best for: Those looking for a full-featured Google TV streaming player at a bargain price.

Known for its top-notch DVRs, TiVo is now taking aim at the Apple TV and Roku models with the TiVo Stream 4K, its first dedicated streamer.

Since its introduction, the price has kept falling, making it a low-priced 4K option for those on a budget. It runs on the Google Android platform, with a proprietary TiVo app for searches and content recommendations. The device supports 4K videos with HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG HDR formats. The player, which also supports Dolby Atmos sound, comes with a tiny peanut-shaped TiVo remote, also enabling voice commands with the built-in Google Assistant. One thing we really like about Stream TV is that it integrates content from many of the streaming services you use into a single program guide. This device uses the older WiFi 5 standard.

Best for: Budget-minded Android TV fans who like TiVo’s intuitive user interface plus an integrated program guide for most of the services you watch.

The Roku Express 4K+, which replaced the Roku Premiere in the company’s lineup, is a small set-top box that offers 4K picture quality, plus support for both HDR10 and HDR10+ high dynamic range formats, though not Dolby Vision, which is found in some pricier models. The included WiFi voice remote control has TV controls that let you turn on the TV, adjust the set’s volume, and use Roku Voice to launch channels, search for content, and control streaming services. Like other Roku players and TVs, it will work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as Apple AirPlay and HomeKit, so you can use voice commands on devices that include them to control the player. It uses the slightly older WiFi 5 standard to connect to home networks.

Best for: Roku fans who prefer a set-top box-style player and who don’t mind missing out on Dolby Vision.

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K has most of the same features as the more expensive Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ model, including improved WiFi, support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR, and the ability to work with Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPlay, and Google Assistant voice assistant. It uses the slightly older WiFi 5 standard to connect to home networks.

This model comes with a standard Roku remote. You might want to splurge an additional $30 for the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ model if you’d like to get the more advanced, rechargeable Voice Remote Pro remote control, which has a built-in headphone jack for private listening, programmable buttons, and a lost-remote finder feature.

Best for: Roku fans who want a stick-style player with a lot of features but can do without the Voice Remote Pro to save some money.

Like its predecessor, this updated Roku Ultra is the company’s most powerful 4K streaming player. It has a new, faster quad-core processor, quicker app launches, support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ HDR formats, and WiFi 6 wireless. Other features include an HDMI 2.1 connection to your TV, an Ethernet port for a wired connection, a lost-remote finder feature, and a wireless headphone mode that lets you pair with Bluetooth headphones. It also has the ability to integrate with Roku Smart Home devices to see Roku doorbell or camera feeds on the TV. The new Ultra comes with Roku’s best remote control—Voice Remote Pro (2nd Edition). The new remote is recharged via a USB-C connection and is now backlit. A new customizable Quick Launch button lets you set two presets, for your favorite apps and shows or even to enable closed captions.