Roku OS 14 already is official and theoretically has been rolling out to some users, but today it’s officially official, along with the announcement of the new Roku Ultra for 2024. And perhaps more important, we have more details about what’s going on under the hood.
The overall look and feel of Roku OS isn’t changing. Same big icons. Same default purple color scheme. But there are some decent new features on the way.
Perhaps most important among them is that the Kid & Family zone is coming to the homescreen, making it easier to get the kid-centric fare in front of the kids, where it belongs. Roku says to expect an easier time sorting things by age range, genre, and series.
Next is the ability to give a thumbs up or thumbs down to content, so you can let Roku know if you actually liked what you were watching. “The more you engage with this feature,” Roku wrote in a blog post, “the better we can tailor our recommendations to match your interests and make your experience effortless.” You’ll also be able to get to trailers and IMDb ratings through the content pages, along with the various episodes in a series. Pretty standard stuff.
A little more interesting is what Roku’s done with voice commands. It says that a Harris Poll survey in November 2023 found that 60% of viewers “say having to manually update their smart TV’s settings, like updating their display, apps, or internet connection, is frustrating.” To each his or her own. But now you’ll be able to do so with your voice. I’ll withhold judgment until I actually try it — it’s not quite clear whether this only opens the settings, or if you can actually make all the changes with your voice.
The Roku mobile app also is getting an update. The remote overlay adds a bottom drawer that contains recent apps and trending content, making it a little quicker and easier to get to watch you want to watch, and where you want to watch it. IMDb ratings are will be visible here, too. And you can choose favorite sports teams to get updated on live and upcoming events, all in the app.
Roku says that “all software updates will be available to Roku devices in the coming months.”