When it comes to the high-end streaming devices, I think it’s between the Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K. Yes, that’s partly because I haven’t checked out the Google TV Streamer. I own both a Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K, and it feels like I go back and forth between which one’s better each day.

Picture quality-wise, I’d say the Apple TV 4K takes the advantage. I’d also say it wins out with its interface since there are no ads whatsoever. The Roku Ultra is no slouch, however. Roku City is a big selling point for me, and although it doesn’t really do anything at all, I do like to look at it on my TV screen. I prefer it over the various backgrounds the Apple TV 4K offers.

However, the Roku Ultra does come ahead in its versatility. While you might not use it often, it’s important to note that your Roku Ultra has a USB port, while the Apple TV 4K doesn’t. For the majority of people, this probably doesn’t matter a whole lot. For those of you it does affect, it’s good news.

4/5

Dimensions

4.9 x 5.0 x 1.0 inches

Connective Technology

Bluetooth® streaming, 802.11ax dual-band MIMO Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz), 10/100 Base-T Ethernet

Brand

Roku

Audio outputs

Digital stereo over HDMI, DTS Digital Surround pass through over HDMI, Dolby Atmos decode via HDMI (with compatible speakers)

Extra ports matter, and Roku Ultra has one

The honest truth

Having more ports is never a bad thing, and you’re not going to find me complaining about something I won’t use often. I’d much rather have the option to do more than be limited in the first place. Having that USB port opens the door to one thing in particular — an offline library. While I’m just in the early stages of something like that, there are people who have been at it for years, and having a port like that is a big deal.

This port will work with personal files, and anything that has DRM protections built in won’t work. However, listening to music or looking at pictures is quite easy with this port, and I think it’s a big deal for people who want that type of functionality. The only thing you need installed is the Roku Media Player to read the USB drive for you. If you want to plug in even more devices, you can use a hub. This means the Roku Ultra can be a powerhouse, and it has quite a bit of use even if you’re totally offline as a result.

When considering the fact that the Apple TV 4K costs more than the Roku Ultra, and it’s sometimes nearly double the price when you account for sales, it’s a bit weird not to see a USB port. You’d expect the premium-priced product to be loaded up with functionality, but it’s not the case here.

There are workarounds, thankfully

You don’t have to rely on this port

As nice as it is that the Roku Ultra has a USB port, it’s not a game-changer if you look at this in a broader sense. I can’t think of many times when I’d be using my Apple TV 4K or Roku Ultra and not have access to a USB port at the same time. Any TV I plug my device into has a USB port, so I can always plug in through the TV if I have to. Yes, that means I don’t get to use the streaming interface, and I’d be at the whim of whatever the TV has installed. In some cases, that might actually be Roku, so it’s not a huge deal.

I think a lot of this boils down to whether you’d get any real use out of a USB port on your streaming box or not. I certainly don’t think it’s important enough to be the major selling point in getting one, and you should prioritize other things over it. Picture and audio quality, along with the apps you get access to, are far more important, at least in my eyes.

Roku and Apple have most of the major players covered, so it’s really only going to come down to niche apps that one might have that the other doesn’t. The ecosystem you’ve bought into also comes into play. It might sound strange to say, but the Apple TV 4K is the only Apple product I have. I’m well aware that I’m leaving things on the table, and the thing I miss the most is being able to cast things from my phone. If you have a bunch of Apple products, it makes the most sense to go with an Apple TV.

There’s also something else worth noting, and it’s that the Apple TV 4K doesn’t have audio passthrough. This means your receiver won’t be able to handle the audio, and in practice, it means not getting the best audio that you can if you’re not using Dolby Atmos. The Roku Ultra doesn’t have this problem, and that makes it a good pick for anybody who values audio over everything. Each device has its share of pros and cons, and while I think the USB port should come into consideration, I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker if you don’t get one.