This year has been a bit of a rollercoaster for Roku. Earlier this year, it launched its new home screen design to mixed reviews and announced it was being acquired by Fox for $22 billion. More recently, it raised the prices of its streaming hardware amid the global memory shortage and announced its first-ever OLED TVs. And through all of that, the streaming giant has also been busy adding tons of new free channels to The Roku Channel.
And apparently, Roku isn’t done yet. The company has now announced what’s next, and there’s a lot coming to Roku OS. Roku is rolling out a bunch of new updates, including a new app called Roku Labs, improvements to features such as search and voice commands, and even making one of its operating systems open-source.
Here’s everything that’s coming to your Roku for free through software updates in the coming months.
Roku Labs
You can soon test future Roku experiences before they launch
Roku Labs is a free app coming soon to Roku devices in the U.S. that will let users test new experiences while they’re still in development. The idea is to let Roku collect feedback from users and make changes before these experiences are officially launched. Roku says some of the things you’ll find in Roku Labs include “experimental, in-development apps,” all of which are created by Roku engineers. The Roku Labs app will appear as a tile on your home screen, just like any other app.
Some of the apps available to test within Roku Labs at launch will include Roku Stocks, which lets you view stock updates right on your TV, and Roku Weather, which gives you a quick way to check the forecast for your area. There will also be Backdrops Studio, which Roku says will let you “get more creative with custom artwork and images” for your screen, as well as Roku Immerse, which lets you set your screensaver to different views from around the world, such as mountainscapes and deserts.
Roku hasn’t said exactly when Roku Labs will launch, other than saying it will be “available soon.” So, for now, it looks like we’ll have to wait until sometime this fall to try it out.
Enhancements to Roku OS
Search is getting smarter, and so are voice commands
In addition to Roku Labs coming soon, Roku has also announced a few other updates coming to Roku OS.
The first is an upgraded search feature that the company says will be smarter, thanks to a more dynamic and personalized experience. When you search for something on Roku, its search feature will explain why certain results appear, such as whether they’re based on your watch history, trending content, or your individual preferences.
Next up, Roku is expanding its Roku Voice feature so you can ask it about more than just movies and shows. The first new capability it’s adding is the ability to ask about the weather. By simply saying, “What’s the weather?” your Roku will show you the current weather conditions for your area, including the temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind.
Additionally, Roku has announced that it’s expanding its new home screen design to Brazil and Mexico soon.
Roku hasn’t provided an exact date for any of these updates yet, only saying to expect them in “the coming months.”
What is available now is new Premium Subscription bundles, which Roku says will let users combine different subscription services it offers to save money. At launch, Roku is offering over 30 combinations, including services like AMC+, FOX One, Hallmark+, Howdy, and STARZ. You can find the new bundle options in the Subscriptions tab on the home screen.
The last tidbit Roku announced today is that Roku LT OS, the lightweight operating system it uses for its Roku remote and Roku Smart Home, is now open source. The company says it’s making this move to make the technology available to “creative programmers and makers everywhere.” Roku also says it’s offering a full development kit and training videos for Roku LT OS to help developers start building custom projects and refine the OS.
