Roku announced a new Streaming Stick today that it says has more power and portability with a sleeker form factor. It’s going for $49.99 and is available for pre-order at the company’s site. It will be at Best Buy, Walmart and other retailers later this month.
The latest model of the device features a quad-core processor, which Roku says gives it more processing power than any other pocket-sized stick in the industry, including Amazon’s Fire TV stick and Google Chromecast. The Roku device has 8X more processing power than its predecessor, and also is the first one from the company to offer private listening through its mobile app.
Other features include dual-band MIMO wireless and an included remote for navigation and control. The small design makes it easier to move between TVs in the home or use while travelling, Roku says.
The stick runs Roku OS 7.1, the latest version of the company’s operating system, which was also announced today. The OS will be rolled out to all other current-generation Roku players through a software update that is expected to be completed this month. Roku TV models should get it shortly after. The latest version of the Roku Mobile App for iOS and Android is available for download today.