The best streaming device in your home isn’t a Roku, Fire Stick or even a smart TV ‣ Diverse Daily

But as streaming prices have gone up, something else has been happening alongside it: I’ve started getting back into collecting physical media, amid a physical media resurgence. More specifically, picking up 4K Blu-rays when they go on sale. It really clicked for me after buying the Indiana Jones 4K collection. There’s something genuinely refreshing about actually owning your favorite movies again, in an era where streaming has become so mainstream, and it feels like you don’t own anything.

That appreciation for physical media didn’t stop with movies, either. I’ve even started buying physical copies of games again, which is something I haven’t done in years, with my most recent pickup being 007 First Light. And going through all of this has made me realize something I haven’t really thought much about despite years of using streaming devices and consoles: if you already have a console like a PS5 or Xbox Series X hooked up to your TV, you don’t really need a Roku or Fire TV Stick at all.

A console offers the best of both worlds

Watching 4K movies on disc is a sight to see

The real allure of using a console like a PS5 for streaming is that you can experience what I’ll call the “best of both worlds” when it comes to watching movies and shows. First, if you want to stream on a console as you would on a Roku or Fire TV Stick, you can do that just as easily, since you can download all the major streaming services on both PlayStation and Xbox.

But also, if you own a PS5 or Xbox Series X, both have a disc drive (if you don’t buy the digital editions), which means you can still collect and play games on disc if you want, as well as play Blu-rays and 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays.

And as someone who has just gotten into collecting 4K movies, I’ve been blown away by the difference between playing a 4K movie on disc and streaming it. The jump in quality is a night-and-day difference, and it wasn’t until I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark in 4K on my PS5 that it really clicked for me. It looked absolutely stunning, sounded incredible, and there was zero compression holding it back the way streaming does. Of course, there are even more benefits to watching movies on disc, such as not having to worry about dips in quality or spotty internet connections disrupting playback, and, of course, you actually own the media and aren’t stuck paying for it every month.

if you already have a console like a PS5 or Xbox Series X hooked up to your TV, you don’t really need a Roku or Fire TV Stick at all.

I’ve watched physical media before, as I used to buy Blu-rays back in the PS3 era, and before that, I watched plenty of DVDs and VHS tapes growing up in the early 2000s. But this is the first time I’ve actually watched a 4K movie on disc instead of streaming it in 4K on my TV, as I’ve done for the past several years, and honestly, it’s a lot harder to go back to streaming now.

So my general word of advice is this: if you have a PS5 or Xbox Series X, try using that as your primary streaming device and watch 4K physical media on it, and chances are you may never use or feel the need to buy a Fire TV Stick or Roku again.

In my case, while I’ve been using a Roku Ultra as my main streaming device for most of the year, getting back into physical media has meant using my PS5 a lot more. Naturally, that’s led me to use it for streaming too, and it’s a setup I’m continuing to use going forward. At this point, the only thing I really still need my Roku Ultra for is The Roku Channel, which unfortunately still doesn’t have a PlayStation app.

Cost is the biggest drawback for consoles

Price hikes are affecting gaming as well

While streaming has been affected by price hikes as of late, consoles have been as well. Thanks to the ongoing memory shortage, RAM prices have skyrocketed, and the prices of both the PS5 and Xbox Series X have dramatically increased since their launch in 2020, creating a huge barrier to entry if you don’t already have one and want to use it for gaming, streaming, and watching movies on disc.

For reference, the PS5 (with a disc drive) now costs $650, up $150 from its original launch price of $500. The Xbox Series X is in the same boat, now costing $650 as well, up $150 from its original launch price of $500. Never before have consoles become more expensive five years after their initial release, rather than getting cheaper, so we really are in unprecedented times. If you picked up a PS5 or Xbox Series X before these price hikes, consider yourself lucky. If you’d like to get a PS5 or Xbox Series X now, my best advice would be to look at the used market to score a deal.

Ultimately, in a world where streaming keeps getting more expensive, I’ve found myself investing more of my time and money in physical media instead. Through all of that, I’ve realized something: if you already own one, consoles are the best media devices you can use, as they offer the best of both worlds, combining streaming and physical media. Of course, gaming is a lot of fun on them, too.